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■f 





JOURNAL 



OF 



TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD. 



TWENTT-SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED 
MILES OVER SEA AND LAND. 



G. E. WINAlfTS. 






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\^0,^ 187T. .-"^ 



^orWASH»^ 



NEW YORK : 
Peikted fob the Author by D. Appleton & Co. 

1877. 



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COPYRIGHT BY 

G. E. WINANTS, 

1811. 



PREFACE 



The following pages contain a simple narrative — 
without pretense to literary elegance — of travels around 
the world, wHcli were full of interest and instruction to 
me. I can but hope that my plain account of them will 
be of equal interest to others, and have the satisfaction 
of furnishing it for the perusal of such friends as may 
desire to read it. 

A journey around the world is a very different un- 
dertaking to-day from what it was when Columbus first 
crossed the Atlantic. The vessels in which he made his 
adventurous voyages are said to have been less than one 
hundred tons' burden, but now some of our ocean-steam- 
ers are of the capacity of five thousand tons. Before the 
introduction of steam upon the sea, it took a sailing-ship 
from thirty to forty days to cross the Atlantic, but now 
the passage can be made in less than ten days, and the 
time is reduced in the same proportion in the voyage 

around the world. 

G. E. WmATs^TS. 

New York, November 1, 18'76. 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 
I*^EFAX3E 3 



I. New York to San Feanoisco 9 

-Albany— Niagara Fall 8— Detroit— C h icago — Omaha— Cheyenne — Larami e City 
—The Plains— The Rocky Mountains— The Devil's Gate— Salt Lake City— 
The Mormons— The Tabernacle— Brigham Young— The People — Cape Horn 
— Union Pacific Railroad — Sacramento. 

II. California 24 

Ban Francisco- When settled— The Golden Gate— Oakland— Fruit— The Cli- 
mate—The Seal-Rocks— Woodward Garden— Telegraph Hill. 

HI. On the Pacific 31 

The steamship Alaska — Letters mailed— Dropping a Day — A Gale of Wind— 
Whales— Native Boats. 

IV. Excursions in Japan 43 

Yokohama— Yeddo, or Tokio— Coolies— The Tycoon's Castle— Buddhist Tem- 
ple—The Mikado- The Capital— The Shogun— Atangoreama— Stago Yama 
— Praying to their Gods— A Pagoda— The Five Hundred Sages— Kamakura 
— Hasemura— Tea-House— Enoshima— The Dragons — Katase— Fusi Yama 
— Totsuka— The Execution-Ground— Seminary for Young Ladies— Mission- 
ary Work. 

V. Japan oT 

The Territory, Population, and Government— Dwelling-Houses— The Daimios 
—Ladies' Black Teeth— Shaved Heads— Lacquer— The Arts- Costume. 

YI. Inland Sea of Japan and Yellow Sea of China 63 

Flying-Fish— Hiogo— -Osaka— Beauties of the Sea— Shine Saka— Agricultural 
Implements— Panoramic View of Four Hundred Miles — Nagasaki— Taka- 
boko Island— Yang-tse-kiang River. 

VII. Shanghai to Hong-Kong 69 

Population, Industry, People, and Government— Manufactures— The Magnetic 
Needle— The Art of Printing— Literature— Money— Shopping — Canals— Chi- 
nese Village- Pagoda— On the Pacific— Catching Fish at Sea. 

Vm. Hong-Kong 78 

The Happy Valley—Victoria Park— Cemeteries— Dwellings— The Governor's 
Palace— The City Hall— The Colonial Prison— Child-Stealing— Sail in the 
Harbor. 

IX. Canton and its Sights 82 

The Steamer White Cloud— Fortificatidns—Whampoa— Native Boats— The 
Pearl River— Population— The Walls of the City— Chinese Shops— Buddhist 
Temples — Joss-House — Chinese Boat-Residences — Tj'phoons — Tea : how 
grown and cured. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER FAOE 

X. Religion of the Chinese 104 

The State Eeligion— Confucianism and Buddhism— Ancestral Worship — Chris- 
tianity in China— Idols— Priests. 

XI. Chinese Mannees and Customs 127 

A Chinaman's Suicide — Costume — The Compression of Ladies' Feet — Coffins — 
Eating — The Gates of Hell — Weddings — Opium — Government. 

XII, Chinese Industey 143 

Agriculture — Clans — Farmers — Farming Utensils — Eeaping — Irrigation — Silk 
— Embroidery — Cotton — Chinese Loom. 

XIII. Hong-Kong to Ceylon 150 

The Steamship Golconda— The China Sea— A Gale— Singapore: its Population 

and Climate— Fruit-Trees— Vegetation— Birds — Monkeys— Costume — Wild 

Game — Fish — Christian Missionary Work — Dwellings — Malacca Straits — 

Penang — A Waterfall— Spice-Trees— Snake-Grass— Keptiles — Native Boats 

.: .. : —A State-Eoom filled with Water. 

XIV. Ceylon 164 

Point de Galle— Currency — Wild Beasts — Natives— Climate — Christian Mis- 
sion Work— Oriental Spice-Trees — Native Costume — Cocoanut-Tree— Bread- 
fruit— Jaca-fruit— Spice-Trees — Fish— Buddhist Temples— Priests— Idols — 
Beggars — Money-Brokers— Cinnamon-Trees. 

XV. Ceylon to Calcutta 173 

Bay of Bengal— Madras, India— The Ship anchors in the Hoogly Eiver— Water- 
Snakes— Tiger Island— Ex-King of Oude's Palace— Landing. 

XVI. Calcutta 181 

Population — Harbor — Dwelhngs — Gardens— Oriental Trees— Native City- 
City of Palaces— Streets— Coohes— Fort William— The Black Hole of Cal- 

. cutta — The Nabob — Serampore Christian Mission— Carey and Ward — College 
of Fort Wilham— The Zenana Mission— The Bishop's College— Asiatic So- 
ciety—Government Houses. 

XVII. Calcutta and its Sights 191 

KaU Ghaut— The Seven Tanks -Eeptiles— Wild Beasts — The Bird-of-Para- 
dise— A Fish-Pond— The Eoyal Botanical Garden— A Mahogany-Grove— 
The Bauyan-Tree— The Garden of Eden— Burning Human Bodies— Amer- 
ican Consul. 

XVIII. GOVEENMENT AND CaSTE IN InDIA 196 

Alexander the Great— His Flotilla— The Ganges Eiver— The East India Com- 
pany—The Viceroyalty— Form of Government— Heathen Gods— Supersti- 
tion of Caste. 

• XIX. Customs and Mannees of the Natives 208 

The Women of India— Nose-Eings— Costume— Eobbers— Pressing Troops- 
Money-lending— Mode of Living. 

XX. Peoduots of India 212 

Agricultural Implements— Irrigation— Eice, Cotton, and Silk Culture— Cash- 
mere Wool— Sugar— Tobacco— Indigo-Opium— Gold, Silver, and Precious 
Stones— Cashmere Shawls —The Eainy Season — Thunder and Lightning. 

XXI. Calcutta to Benares 218 

The East India Eailway — Bedding for the Journey— Poppy-Fields— The Jun- 
gle—The Ganges— Mogul Seria— Bridge of Boats— Clark's Hotel. 

XXII. Benaees 221 

Population— The Monkey Temple— Bull, Peacock, and Monkey Worship- 
Burning the Dead— The Golden Temple— Sarnath— The Devil-Dance— The 
Sankata Devil Temple— Snake-Cliarmers— A AVcdding— A Funeral. 



CONTENTS. 



■ OnAPTER T..,.™ 

PAGE 

XXIII. LuoKNOw AND Cawnpoee ... 241 

Minarets — The Kinj? of Oude — Cawnpore-CantoniTionts— The Mutiny of 
1857— The Memorial Garden— The Well in which the "Women and Children 
perished. 

XXIV. Agra 250 

The Gates— The Fortress— The Judg-ment Seat— The Hall of Audience— The 
Pearl Mosque— The Taj Mahal— Tombs— The Grand Mosque— The Echo— 
The Park— The Garden of Rest— The Prince of Wales— Elephants. 

XXV. Delhi 260 

An Excursion— Toogluckabad— Bullock-Carts— Fortification— The Palace and 
Citadel— The Music-Hall— The Peacock-Throne — The Mosque of Jumma 
Musjid— Asoka's Pillar— Panthan Fort— The Kootub Minar— The Iron Pil- 
lar —Eev. Dr. Smith— The Zenana Mission— Himalaya Moimtains. 

XXVI. Allahabad 276 

The Fortifications— The Ganges and Jumna Elvers— A Hindoo Fair— Con- 
course of People— Idols— Christian Missionary Work— Bridge across the 
Jumna River. 

XXVII. JUBBULPORE TO BOMBAT 284 

Tigers seen on the Road- Herds of Deer and Antelopes— Birds—A Mountain 
on Fire— Jubbulpore— Precious Stones— The Prison— A Hindoo Temple — 
Monkeys— The Ghauts— Mountain Scenery. 

XXVIII. Bombay 291 

Population — Costume— Mohammedan Fair— Elephanta Island— Malabar Hill- 
Manner of disposing of the Dead — Parsees — Fii-e-Worshipers — Mlssioa- 
Work — A Wedding. 

XXIX. Bombay to Suez 299 

The Steamship Erl-King— The Indian Ocean— Flying-Fish— Aden— Mocha— 
The Red Sea— Mount Sinai— Egyptian Money. 

XXX. Egypt 311 

Suez — The Suez Canal — Ismailia — Sandy Desert — Beggars — Population — Cairo 
—Government— Island of Rhoda— The Citadel— The River Nile— The Pj-ra- 
mids — The Sphinx— Christian Missionary Work — Camels and Donkeys — 
The Great Sahara Desert— Vegetation — Alexandria— Pompey's Pillar— Cleo- 
patra's Needle. 

XXXI. Mediterranean Sea 330 

The Island of Candia— Strait of Messina— Sicily — Volcano of Mount Etna — 
Volcano of Stromboli. 

XXXII. Italy : Naples, Eome, Pisa, Genoa, Turin 334 

Bay of Naples— Mode of Living— Dwellings-Volcano of Solfatara— The Mu- 
seum—Mount Vesuvius— Pompeii— Rome— St. Peter's Church— The Colos- 
seum—The Temple of Venus— The Roman Senate-Chamber— The Pantheon 
—The Forum— The Vatican— The Mamertine Prison— Pisa— The Leaning 
Tower— The Cathedral— Genoa — Christopher Columbus — San Lorenzo- 
Turin — The King's Palace— Mont Cenis Tunnel. 

XXXIII. Switzerland , 357 

Geneva — Dwellings — Population — Language — Money— Mont Blanc — The 
Protestant Cathedral— The Yachts and Steamers on the Lake. 

XXXIV. France : Macon, Dijon, Paris, Havre 360 

Paris— The Fashions— Population— Place de la Concorde— Colonne Vendome 
—The Palais Royal— The Crystal Palace— The Siege of Paris— The Museum 
—The Bois de Boulogne— The Council of Arbitration— The Fortifications— 
The Tuileries— The Obelisk of Luxor. 



CONTBKTB, 



CJRAPTEB 

XXXV. 



XXXYI. 



XXXYII. 



pjtas 
England : London, Liveepooi 869 

The Great Metropolis — Buckingham Palace— St. Paul's Cathedral— Eev. Dr. 
Spurgeon— Wax-Figures— Windsor— Sight-seeing in London — Westmin- 
ster Abbey — Liverpool — Population — The Docks — Ship-building— The 
Harbor— The Hotels. 

Wales : Chestee, Bangoe, Holyhead, Conway 382 

The Castle of Chester— The City Walls— Surroundings— Bangor— Slate-Quar- 
ries — Bethesda— Prospect Park— Old Protestant Cathedral— Market-Day 
— Holyhead— The Harbor and Fortifications combined — Birds' -Nests^ 
Girls and Boys —Conway — Conway Castle — The Eiver. 

Atlantic Ocean 389 

The steamship Italy— Sea-Sicknessr-Eough Weather— Arrival at Quaran- 
tine^ Homa again. 



JOUR]^AL OF TEAYELS 

Around the World 



CHAPTER I. 

NEW YORK TO SAI^ FRATN'CISCO. 

September 7, 1875. — Mrs. G. E. Winants and I leave 
Bergen Point, New Jersey, upon a tonr around tlie world. 
We take passage this afternoon on the steamer Chancel- 
lor for New York ; at six o'clock w^e embark upon the 
steamer St. John, the Hudson River night-boat for Al- 
bany, en route for San Francisco, distance thirty- three 
hundred miles ; fare by palace-cars one hundred and 
thirty-six dollars apiece in gold. 

September Sth. — Albany. We arrive here this morn- 
ing at seven o'clock ; take breakfast at the Delavan 
House ; at 9 a. m. we resume the tour by the New York 
Central Railroad, arriving at Niagara Falls at 9 a. 3i., 
distance four hundred and forty miles. Take rooms in 
the Cataract Hotel; board four dollars and a half per 
day for each person. 

September 9t?i, — Niagara Falls doubtless are to-day, 
as centuries ago, ever charming and beautiful to behold, 

2 



10 AROUND THE MOELL. 

and may justly be classed among the great wonders of 
the world. They are the pride of America ; their grand 
eur, mao^nitude, and mag^niiicence, are well known to all 
the civilized world. Ever since the discovery of this 
wonderful catai'act, millions of people have flocked thither 
from all countries, to gaze with feelings of the deepest 
solemnity on the tumultuous fall of waters, and to adore 
the power and majesty of the Almighty as these are ex- 
hibited and realized. The Great Lakes of North Amer- 
ica, namely, Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie, jiour 
the flood of their accumulated waters into Lake Ontario 
through a channel of about thirty-six miles in length, 
called the Niagara River, which is part of the bound- 
ary=line between Canada and the State of New York. 
Twenty-two miles below its commencement at Lake Erie 
are the famous Falls of Niagara. These Falls are di- 
vided into two by Goat Island : the American Falls are 
nine hundred feet Avide by one hundred and sixty-four 
feet high ; the Horseshoe, or Canadian Falls, are two thou- 
sand feet wide, and one hnu^lred and fifty-eight feet high. 
It is said that the discovery of this stupendous waterfall 
was first made by a white man, a French Jesuit mission- 
ary, in the year 1678. There are two bridges which 
span the Niagara River : one, about two miles below tlie 
Falls, used principally by railroad-cars and cai-riages ; 
and the other is but a few hundred yards below the 
cataract, designed chiefly for foot-passengers and light 
carriages. A large number of people, becoming too vent- 
uresome, have lost their lives by being carried over the 
Falls. Even to-day a gentleman lost his grasp of the 



NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. H 

bank, and was carried over by the rushing waters, never 
to rise again. This evening we leave Niagara by the 
nine o'clock train en route for Chicago, distance about 
five hundred and fifty miles. 

September 10th. — We arrive at Detroit at 7 a.m., 
where we stop for three hours and take breakfast. At 
9 p. M. we arrive in tbe city of Chicago, and put up at 
the Sherman Hotel ; board four dollars apiece per day. 

September 11th. — We devote the time principally in 
looking over the city, sight-seeing. The burned district 
lias been built over by the construction of larger and 
more substantial buildings of stone, in a more uniform 
and elaborate style ; there is only a slight tracing of the 
burned district visible to designate the large conflagra- 
tion of 1871, which spread over two square miles of the 
best section of the city. 

September 12th. — This being tlie Sabbath, we at- 
tended the Presbyterian Church, two miles out from the 
business part of tlie city. 

September IMh. — This morning by the ten-o'clock train 
we resume our tour en route for Omaba, distance ^yq hun- 
dred miles. At 1^ p. m. we arrive at Mendota, and take 
dinner ; at 7 p. m. Ave take tea at Burlington, where we 
<?ross the Mississippi River. 

September 14^A. — This morning at ten o'clock we ar- 
rive at Council Bluffs, on the banks of the Missouri River, 
where we stop about thirty minutes. After crossing the 
bridge, on the opposite side of the river, we are in the 
city of Omaha, where we make another stop. Omaha 
contains a population of about eighteen thousand, and 



12 AROUND THE WORLD. 

suddenly sprang into existence by tlie construction of 
the Union Pacific Eailroad. This road^ with the Central 
Pacific and other connecting links, reaching from the 
Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, is conceded to be the long- 
est in the Avprld. Though but little faith was at first felt 
in the successful construction of this great railway, no 
one at the present day can fail to appreciate the enter- 
prise which characterized the progress and final comple- 
tion of this road, and its immense value both to our own 
people and the world at large. The first contract for 
construction was made in the year 1863, and the road 
was completed in 1869 ; over it cars have since been 
running regularly. This immense road is from Omaha 
to San Francisco two thousand miles in length, and from 
New York to Omaha thirteen hundred miles, making 
together a continuous line of rail of thirty -three hundred 
miles from New York to San Francisco. The completion 
of the Union and Central Pacific Railroads, the great 
highway of nations, has ojDened a new era in the passen- 
ger-travel of the country. Crossing over the American 
Continent by rail in seven days, from ocean to ocean, is 
as a household word throughout the land. The steady 
increase in the number of people going to and returning 
from the great West enables us to form some idea of the 
future mammoth proportions to which the passenger- 
traffic will arrive. When I crossed over this road in 
1869, the average was about twenty passengers per day, 
and now it has increased to about one hundred and 
twenty-five first-class travelers per day, besides the emi- 
grants. The road has but few tunnels, and these pass 



NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. 13 

througli a soft species of rock or rotten-stone. The prin- 
cipal part of tlie road runs over a plain as level as the 
sea, except in crossing over the Sierra ISTevadas and the 
Black Hills of the Rocky Mountains, where w^e find a 
heavy but gradual upgrade. The greatest elevation on 
the Union Pacific is at Sherman, eight thousand jtwo 
hundred and forty-two feet, and was said to be the 
greatest height that railroad - cars ever reached; but 
there ai'e higher points now reached by rail in South 
America. The variegated peaks of the mountains are 
covered with perpetual snow. The grade of the Central 
Pacific as it winds around these high peaks is one hun- 
dred and sixteen feet to the mile, the highest point be- 
ing about seven thousand feet. As we approach the 
summit of the Sierra Nevada, on our left the rugged 
mountain-bluffs rise in quick succession to a great height, 
even above the clouds, while on the right the deep ravine 
descends abruptly for over a thousand feet. This wild, 
picturesque scene is most interesting, striking one with 
awe and astonishment at the power of Him who modeled 
the world, and made everything therein for the benefit 
and enjoyment of man. 

The surface of the country between the Black Hills 
and the Bocky Mountains, and upon the Battlesnake 
Bange, is level for several hundred miles ; hence the road 
has an easy grade, even u]3 to the top of the mountains, 
winding its way gently around the higher peaks. Tak- 
ing the road altogether, it has not cost for grading, per 
mile, more than half as much as our oi"dinary Eastern 
^nd Southern roads. There are serious objections, how- 



14, AROUND THE WORLD. 

ever, to the locality of the road, namely : if it had been 
constructed some three or four hundred miles farther 
south, it would have run through a more fertile section 
of country, and would have built up more rapidly towns 
and cities, and also avoided the cold climate, as well as the 
banks of snow, which are said to be piled up during the 
lengthy winters like mountain-tops. The railroad com- 
panies have made some provision against the heavy snow- 
fall by constructing snow-sheds over the track, which 
extend for many miles, and yet what has been done is 
not sufficient to break off the heavy drifts which loom 
up from forty to sixty feet high. In consequence of not 
having any rainfall, during the summer and autumn 
months on the mountains, for the distance of over a 
thousand miles, there is not a spear of grass or green 
herb to be seen, except at intervals along some small 
brook in whicli the snow-water finds its way from off 
the distant mountain-tops. 

On leaving Omaha we stop for thirty minutes at Fre> 
mont and take dinner. This is a small town containing 
about three thousand inhabitants, and is said to be rap- 
idly on the increase. At 6 p. m. we arrive at Grand 
Island and take supper. This place, it is claimed, will 
become an important railroad centre. It seems to have 
a good supply of churches, schools, hotels, and stores. 

September 15th. — This morning early, as we were 
gliding over the plains, we saw in the distance a fine 
herd of antelope. . All through the day, at intervals, we 
passed by numerous emigrant-wagons, loaded with men^ 
women, and children, some drawn by oxen and some 



N^FW YORK TO SAN FRANCTSOO. 



15 



"by males, dragging their Wiiy through the prairies, some 
going west, others going east. We stop at Sidney for 
thirty minutes and take breakfast. The Government 
has established a military post at this station, and erected 
extensive barracks and warehouses for the better protec- 
tion of the road. At one o'clock we stop at Cheyenne 





CHETENIfE. 



and dine. This town is located at the base of the Rocky 
Mountains ; it contains a population of about four thou- 
sand souls, and is the county-seat of Laramie County, and 
the capital of Wyoming Territory. At one time Chey- 
enne is said to have been infested with roughs, gam- 
bling-hells, and dance-houses, and had frequent murders 
by night and day; this lasted until the quiet and l^etter 
class of citizens took the law into their own han^ls and 



1(3 AROUND THE WORLD. 

hung some of tlie desperate characters ; others fled, for 
fear of arrest, and now the town is in a flourishing con- 
dition. We stop at Fort Laramie and take supper. 
This fort was established in 1869, to protect the men 
working on the railroad against the Indians, who made 
several raids uj)on the road and killed many of the la- 
borers. 

September \^tli. — This morning we breakfast at Green 
River. It is said that, in early times, an important trad- 
ing-post was located near this station, held by the Mor- 
mons, who reaped a rich harvest of from five to twenty 
dollars a team for crossing them over the river, accord- 
ing as the owners w^ere able to pay. We stop for thirty 
minutes at Evanston and take dinner. Later in the day 
we pass by the " One-Thousand-mile-Tree," called by 
that name on account of its being one thousand miles 
from Omaha. After leaving the big tree we soon j^ass 
through the Devil's Gate, and behold another wild 
scene of Nature's works. At six o'clock we arrive in 
Ogden, and after tea we take the cars by the branch 
road, which is thirty-six and a half miles long, built ])y 
the Mormons, and arrive in Salt Lake City at eight 
o'clock. The fare on this branch line from Ogden and 
return is five dollars. We put up in the Townsen Hotel ; 
board four dollars per day in gold for each j^ersou. 

Septemher 17th. — Salt Lake is situated on a broad 
plateau, about twenty miles in width, bounded on two 
sides l)y a cliain of higli mountains. This plain is 
divided by a small river running directly through its 
centre, called the Jordan, a beautiful stream, which in its 



NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. 17 

general appearance resembles the river of the same name 
in Palestine. The city proper is situated directly west 
of and at the base of a chain of high mountains, which 
loom up over eleven thousand feet, whose summit is 
about ten miles distant, and is covered with ])erpetual 
snow. The city is very prettily laid out with straight 
streets one hundred and twenty-five feet in width, inter- 
secting at right angles, with wide sidewalks, and rows 
of large ornamental shade-trees planted on each side. 
The gutters in all the principal streets are filled with 
streams of pure running water, conducted through canals 
from the snowy mountains for the purpose of irrigating 
the land ; and as the water leaves the gutters it finds its 
way to and over the farming-lands in the rear of the city. 
During the summer and autumn months they have no 
rainfall, and, if it were not for this system of irrigation, 
the land would not produce crops. Where the lands 
have been watered by this artificial method, the crops 
are all very heavy ; but, where the laud has not been 
w^atered, the soil is seemingly dead. Salt Lake City con- 
tains about thirty thousand inhabitants, but the entire 
settlements of the Mormons in Utah, which extend up 
and down the valleys for nearly four hundred miles, con- 
tain in all over two hundred and fifty thousand souls, 
and are rapidly increasing, for they are extending rail- 
roads, and building up towns and cities, in every direc- 
tion. 

It was in the year 1847 that less than ^yq hundred 
Mormons, having traveled through a thousand miles of 
an uninhabited Indian country, settled in the valley of 



18 AROUND THE WORLD. 

Salt Lake. They were very poor, and it is probable that 
the extent of the sufferings and sacrifices made by the 
Mormons to reach this remote valley will never be known 
but to those who endured them ; and since tbey have 
been in this valley they have encountered many fearful 
vicissitudes. In 1857 they were molested by the troops 
of the United States Government on account of polyg- 




SALT LAKE VALLEY. 



amy; in order to defend themselves, they built a rough 
stone-wall round the city, but at length, finding tliat 
they could not ward off the invading army, and before it 
reached the city, they packed up their goods, taking their 
women and children, and went down into the southern 
part of Utah, where they remained until the following 
spring. On their return they found that the army had 



NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCTSCO. ^9 

departed without doing any material damage to the city, 
and left a large amount of stores, together with a great 
number of wagons, which were afterward bought by the 
Mormons for a merely nominal sum. Instead of this 
invasion being a damage to the Mormons, in the end it 
was of great beneiit. It is reported that this movement 
against the Mormons cost the United States Government 
nearly three million dollars. When the city of Salt Lake 
was iirst settled, tbe princi]3al material used was sun- 
dried brick, giving it in that respect the appearance of a 
Spanish town, but the better class of buildings is now 
being constructed of cut stone in the most modern style ; 
others are built of wood. The great Tabernacle, which 
is said to seat fourteen thousand people, is the first ob- 
ject for strangers to see. The building is oblong in 
shape, having a length of two hundred and fifty feet by 
one hundred and fifty in width. The roof is suj^ported 
by forty-six columns of cut sandstone ; from these stone 
pillars the roof springs, forming an unbroken arch, one 
of rhe largest self-sustaining roofs on the continent. They 
have also in course of erection a fine Mormon Temple of 
cut stone, which, when finished, it is said will cost two 
million dollars. President Young is now constructing a 
handsome palace, which will be one of the finest frame 
houses in America. The Mormons also have a theatre 
which will seat some thousands of people, and many 
other large buildings of a public character. 

The people are governed by President Young, who is^ 
assisted by the twelve apostles. Their form of govern- 
ment is plain and simple, and seemingly works well. 



20 AROUND THE WORLD. 

The people are said to be quiet and law-abiding. When 
a person is arrested for a crime, lie is immediately taken 
before the provost-marshal and tried at once ; if found 
guilty, a fine is inflicted; if he is unable to pay, a ball 
and chain are attached to his leg, and he is put at work 
on the public streets to satisfy the penalty. The admin- 
istration of government is conducted strictly upon the 
principle of economy; and, instead of their municipal 
tax, as in some other cities, being from four to five per 
cent., it is less than one. 

September IStJi. — This forenoon we take a ride to the 
warm sul23hur springs, and also to the military encamp- 
ment. Before leaving the city we called upon President 
Young, who gave us a cordial reception. He is a large, 
portly gentleman, of over seventy years, but looks young 
for that age. He was very pleasant, and conversed freely 
upon the general topics of the day. 

It is said that President Young has taken a prominent 
part in all public improvements, in every plan calculated 
to facilitate communication between the Territory and 
the Eastern States, assisting in forming several express 
companies and stage-lines. He built several hundred 
miles of the Western Union Telegraph, graded one hun- 
dred and fifty miles of the Union Pacific Railroad, and 
has ever offered his assistance to every enterprise having 
any bearing on the interest of Utah. He also used every 
effort to push forward to an early completion the Utah 
Central Railroad, of which he was the first president. 
His great influence over his people is strongly illustrated 
by the ])r()m])tness with which they respond to his call 



NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO. 21 

in every emergency. If it were not for polygamy, which 
they claim to be the vital part of their religion, they 
would be as fine a race as we have, for they are a sober^ 
cleanly, and hard-working people. 

We take our departure from Salt Lake City by the 
three-o'clock train, and arrive at Ogden at five, where we 
make a change of cars, and resume our tour en route for 
San Francisco. 

September Idth. — Sabbath. This morning we break- 
fast at Elko. A good meal can be had on any part of 
the road for one dollar currency or seventy-five cents 
coin ; the cars stop for thirty minutes at all the regular 
eating-stations. We dine at Battle Mountain, and take 
supper at Humboldt. This station is situated on the 
edge of the great Nevada Desert, and it would be worth 
the while of any tourist who wishes to examine the won- 
ders of Nature to stop here and remain for a few days. 

September 20th. — This morning we pass what is called 
Cape Horn, which is one of the wildest and grandest 
scenes on the American Continent. The cars stopped 
for twenty minutes to give time to the passengers to ex- 
amine and gaze upon the wonderful works of Nature. 
Timid people will draw back with a shudder, one look 
into this fearful chasm being sufficient to unsettle their 
nerves. On our right the mountain-range towers up above 
the clouds, while on the left is a ravine over a thousand 
feet in depth. In a short time after leaving this scene 
of natural beauty, we arrive at Colfax, where we stop 
and take breakfast. All through this section can be seen 
where the gold-diggers have been at work by the evidence 



22 



AROUND THE WORLD. 



of the soil having been thrown over, and there are now 
some engaged taking out the precious metal We can 
see occasionally small towns of huts or cabins inhabited 
ty those in search of gold, with their families, but we do 




REMNANT OF A TRIBE. 



not see as many children running about the grounds as 
in Salt Lake City. In a short time after leaving Colfax 
we come to Sacramento, the capital of California. 

Sacramento a few years ago was a small and un- 
important handet, but it has emerged into a thriving, 
bustling city, containing a population of twenty-fiv^e 
thousand. The ground upon which the city is located is 
h^v, and the younger town was swept away by the over- 
fl(nv of tlie river of the same name. To guard against a 
recurrences of this evil, they raised the bed of the city 



NEW YORK TO SAN FliANCISVO. 23 

above tlie highest known flood, and built a more sui)- 
stantial style of residences. We proceed on our way, and 
dine at Lathrop. At half-past five o'clock we arrive in 
the city of San Francisco, and take up quarters in the 
Occidental Hotel ; board three dollars per day each in 
gold. 



CHAPTER II 



CALIFORNIA. 



September 21s^. — Finally, here we are, on the golden 
shore of California. We have traveled over one of the 
longest roads in the world, from the far East to the far 
West ; from the Atlantic to the Pacific ; from where the 
sun rises out of the waters to where it sets in the waters. 
The city of San Francisco presents a picturesque and yet 
broken appearance, owing to a portion being built on 
the hills, which attain a considerable altitude. From 
the toi^s of these hills a fine view of the town can be 
obtained. The city j)i'oper is located upon a narrow 
peninsula, which separates the bay of San Francisco 
from the Pacific Ocean. As the city continues to in- 
crease in size it extends back from the bay, takes in and 
covers over several high hills, among which is Prospect 
Hill, three hundred feet high ; Russian Hill, three hun- 
dred and sixty feet ; Clay Hill, nearly four hundred feet ; 
and Lone Mountain, which is twelve hundred feet — 
through all of which the streets are being rapidly ex- 
tended. The dirt taken from these hills is removed to 
the water-front and used for filling in the bay, with 
which hundreds of acres have been reclaimed. As soon 
as the new-made ground is raised above water, store- 
houses are built for the use of commerce. 



CALIFORNIA. 25 

The city ^\as principally settled by Americans in the 
year 1849, wlio emigrated from Eastern and Western 
States in search of gold, and, in consequence of the great 
desire for wealth, there was but little attention ])aid to 
building up the city until several years later ; and that 
part constructed by the pioneers has long since been 
swept away, and more substantial and commodious build- 
ino-s have been erected. The new houses are of brick, 
cemented on the outside, giving them the appearance of 
stone ; others are built of stone. In consequence of the 
frequent earthquakes to which the city is subject, the 
inhabitants hud it unsafe to run their buildings up as 
high as those in Eastern cities, lest they should be shaken 
down by the elements. 

The harbor of San Francisco is one of the finest and 
most commodious in America, if not in the world. Its 
entrance is through the Golden Gate, which is one and 
a half mile in width and about three miles inland from 
the ocean, where the bay is entered, and in front of which 
the city of San Francisco is located. This spacious bay 
is sixty miles long, varying from four to nineteen miles 
in width, with a depth of water capable of floating the 
largest shijDs; there is a great number of vessels of all 
nationalities in this port. Regular lines of steamers con- 
nect San Francisco with Japan, China, and all j^oints on 
the northern and southern Pacific coast, while steam- 
boats and railroads connect with all the important in- 
land towns and cities. 

When the ship-canal which is in contemplation shall 
have been constructed across the isthmus of Central 

3 



26 



AROUND THE WOELD. 



America, together with the great Union and Central Pa- 
cific Kaiboads, and other connecting links which are 
ah^eady projected, with a rich and fertile soil, and the 
mineral resources of the Pacific coast more fully devel- 




SAN FRANCISCO. 



oped, San Fi-ancisco is destined to become a great com- 
mercial emporium of North America, second only to Ne\v 
York in magnitude. 

Tlie city of San Francisco claims to have a popula- 
tion of two hundred and seventy thousand souls, consist- 
ing of all nationalities; and, should she continue to in- 
crease in the future in the same ratio as in the past, 
doubtless her numbers will soon exceed the present 



CALIFORNIA. 27 

population of the city of New York. The suburbs are 
rapidly increasing. Oakland, on the ojiposite side of 
the bay from San Francisco, has grown within a few 
years from a small hamlet to be a city of considerable 
magnitude. Many of the business-men of San Francisco 
make Oakland their place of residence. The peo])le 
of the town claim that, for that purpose, it far sur- 
passes San Francisco. Its genial climate, its delightful 
scenery, its smooth macadamized streets, shaded with 
evergreen foliage, and its superb drives and beautiful 
gardens, have induced many people of wealth to settle 
in Oakland City. 

California is the finest fruit-growing country in which 
I have been. Peaches, pears, plums, figs, and grapes, 
grow in perfection. Some of this fine fruit is trans- 
ported to New York and other Eastern markets ; but 
the distance over rail is too far to send fruit, for it loses 
its flavor before coming into use. Grapes are exten- 
sively cultivated in all parts of the State, and the wine 
made from the most suitable grapes is said to be quite 
as good as that imported from foreign countries. 

The climate of San Francisco is rather peculiar. In 
the forenoon the town has a dingy appearance, having 
strong indications of a rainy day ; about ten o'clock it 
clears up with ])right sunshine, and in the afternoon the 
effect of the cool breeze is felt from off the ocean. There 
are only ten degrees difference in the temperature be- 
tween summer and winter. When I was here, during 
the summer of 1869, it seemed novel to see ladies prome- 
nade the streets of San Francisco in the month of July, 



28" AROUND TEE WORLD. 

dressed in furs, and gentlemen in overcoats, sucli as we 
would consider to be winter clothing. 

September 22c/. — To-day we cross over tlie bay of San 
Francisco to tlie city of Oakland, and visit Mr. Mark 
Winant and family, formerly of Staten Island, wbo re- 
ceive us cordially. What Brooklyn is to New York 
City, Oakland is to tlie city of San Francisco. The town 
derived its name from being built in a forest of ever- 
green oaks, wdth orchards of fruit-trees, parks, gardens^ 
and vineyards, on every side. Amid this forest of per- 
petual green can be seen, peeping out here and there^ 
the substantial residence of the wealthy merchant, the 
magnificent villa of the nabob, and the neat and tasteful 
cottage of the well-to-do mechanic, wdio have been at- 
tracted here by its grand scenery, mild climate, and quiet 
surroundings, being free from the dust, noise, and bustle, 
of a large city. It is suj^plied with gas and water, and 
two daily newspapers. Churches and schools are more 
numerous in Oakland, according to its po23ulation, than 
in San Francisco. The city has a population of fifteen 
thousand, and is rapidly increasing. 

September 23c/. — To-day we take a ride out to the 
cemetery and suburbs. 

September 24,th. — This afternoon we hire a carriage 
and ride out to the Seal-Kocks, a fashionable place of 
resort, which are six miles out. A good macadamized 
road leads from the city over a succession of sand-hills ; 
from the summit of some of these hills we occasionally 
catch a glimpse of the ocean and bay in the distance ; as 
we pass over the summit of the farthest and highest of 



CALIFORNIA. 29 

tliese hills, almost at our feet tlie great Pacific Ocean, in 
all its mystery and majesty, opens before us. On our 
right, in the distance, can be seen the Golden Gate, 
which is open to ships of all nations. Some three hun- 
dred yards from the land two rugged rocks rise abruptly 
out of the sea, to the height of about seventy-five feet, 
forming an area of perhaps an acre each, literally cov- 
ered with seals and sea-lions ; the seals were of the size 
of a Newfoundland dog, but the sea-lions much larger, 
and their noise resembled that of the bark of a dog; 
they are seemingly tame, and are protected by the laws 
of the State. They cling to the rocks as tenaciously as 
if they had been in possession for thousands of years. 
They often come in conflict, struggling for the higher 
places, and engage in loud disputation, unlike any con- 
troversy which I have ever heard before ; their fierce 
growls and barks could be heard for miles. I doubt if 
there is another such scene to be witnessed anywhere 
in the world. 

September 'iDtJi. — We take a ride out to the North 
Beach, where many visitors go daily, to enjoy the sea- 
breeze. 

Septemher ^%tli. — Sabbath. Both morning and even- 
ing we attended the Methodist Church. 

Septemher ^Ith. — We proposed to visit the Yosemite 
Valley, and should have done so, but were dissuaded by 
those who" had been there declaring that it was as much 
of a tour of toil as of pleasure, unless one could remain 
in the valley for several weeks, allowing sufficient time 
for rest and meditation. The tour is partly made by 



30 AROUND THE WORLD. 

rail, and partly by stage, over rough, broken, and dusty 
roads. 

September 2Sth, — To-day I attended the noon prayer- 
meeting, modeled after the Fulton Street meeting in 'Nevr 
York City. After having the pleasure of speaking a few 
words in behalf of the Master's cause, at the close of the 
meeting, the little band of Christians, both brothers and 
sisters, hovered around, greeting me by shaking of h an ds, 
and inviting me to call in again, and assist them in their 
work. 

September 29t7i. — This afternoon we ride out to 
Woodward Gardens, which are adorned with a variety 
of trees and flowers, selected from all parts of the world. 
In the gallery are some rare paintings and statuary ; in 
the zoological department is a great variety of wild 
animals, including the California lion, and a grizzly l)ear 
weighing sixteen hundred pounds; also a number of 
California birds. 

September SOth. — We continue rambling over the city„ 
sight-seeing, and ascend Telegraph Hill, whence we ob- 
tain a beautiful view both of the city and shipping in 
the harbor. There are many profitable tours that could 
be made over California, which would require man^r 
months to accom])lish. 



CHAPTER III. 

OlS^ THE PACIFIC. 

October 1st. — To-day, at twelve oY-loek, we embaik 
on board the steamship Alaska en route for Japan ; dis- 
tance five thousand and fifty miles, fare two hundred and 
fifty dollars apiece. We have in company thirty -five first- 
class passengers, and six hundred and fifty Chinamen in 
the steerage. This is conceded to be the longest sea- voy- 
age in the world without coming in sight of land. The 
Alaska is one of the first ships of the fleet to which she 
belongs. She measures forty-one hundred tons, three 
hundred and seventy feet in length, forty feet breadth of 
beam, and thirty-one feet depth of hold. Her cylinder 
is one hundred and fiYe inches, with twelve feet stroke, 
and she burns about fifty tons of coal in every twenty- 
four hours. She is registered to carry fourteen hundred 
passengers. 

The Alaska carries a crew of one hundred and thirty- 
five men, including officers, sailors, servants, and waiters. 
The sailors and waiters are all Chinese, but they are 
admirably trained in their several duties, perfectly quiet, 
and ready at every call and for every emergency. We 
find Captain Howard a gentlemanly, polite officer, not 
only looking well to his ship, but attending as well to the 
comfort and pleasure of his passengers, which cannot be 



32 AEOUXD THE WORLD. 

said of all captains on tlie sea. Captain Howard com- 
bines liumanity witli stern discipline. Each morning 
and evening he iuspects every j)art of the ship from stem 
to stern, with the keenest eye, to see that everything is 
going on right. 

After passing through the Golden Gate of California, 
which always excites some interest, occasionally we he- 
come ncquainted \viththe passengers. We find on hoard 
the Rev. Mr. McKibhen and wife, of Ohio, missionaries 
to China ; and four young ladies, all missionaries, some on 
their first voyage, others returning to spheres of honored 
labor. We also have in company Mi\ Esendecker, Ger- 
man consul for Yeddo, Japan; Mr. Fowler, of the House 
of Commons, England ; and Mr. and Mrs. Runnels, of 
Boston, who intend making the circuit of the globe ; and 
many others of some note. It took us some two or three 
days to get used to the sea, and to one another, and to 
leain each other's histories. It is \vonderful what an 
amount of information, both good and bad, in regard to 
one another, we do gather up in the course of a few 
days. Little grouj^s began to form and pass occasionally 
hours on deck, or in the upper saloon, some playing at 
cards and other games, but I heard not as many sacred 
songs, and " Home, Sweet Home," sung, as on some 
other long voyages; l)ut befoi*e reaching j^ort they were 
all as sociable as one family. 

October 2d. — Weatlier clear, wind west ; course west- 
southwest ; latitude 37° 29^' north, longitude 125° 34' 
west. Ship ran from noon, yesterday, to 12 m. to-day, one 
hundred and sixty miles. Thermometer (34°. 



ON THE PACIFIC. 33 

October ?><!. — Sabbath. This forenoon divine service 
was administered by the Rev. Mr. McKibben. Weather 
€lear, wind blowing a good breeze from the west ; course 
west-southwest; latitude 37° 21' north, longitude 129° 
12' west. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and 
seventy six miles. Thermometer 66°. 

October Uh. — Weather clear, wind south; course 
west-southwest; latitude 37° 21^' north, longitude 132° 
54' west. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and 
seventy-six miles. Thermometer 70°. 

Yesterday we were informed that to-day we should 
meet the homeward-bound steamer, as both would be 
sailing on the same parallel of latitude ; accordingly we 
had a large number of letters written to surprise friends 
at home. The letters were duly mailed, postage paid, 
etc., and all day we were eagerly on the lookout for the 
steamer, but the ship never made her appearance. 

October htli. — Weather clear, wind blowing hard from 
the south ; course west-southwest ; latitude 37° 32' north, 
longitude 136° 19' west. Thermometer 60°. Distance 
run, up to 12 m., one hundred and sixty-three miles. 

October Uli. — Weather clear, wind blowing hard from 
the south, accompanied by a heavy sea ; course west- 
southwest; latitude 37° 23' north, longitude 139° 18' 
west. Distance run, to 12 m., one hundred and forty-two 
miles. Thermometer 65°. 

October ^tli. — Wind fresh from the south ; course 
west-southwest; latitude 37° 21' north, longitude 142° 
37' west. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and 
:fifty-eight miles. Thermometer 68°. 



34 AROUND THE WORLD. 

October ^tJi. — Weather overcast and rainy, wind west ; 
course west-southwest ; latitude 87° 10^ north, longitude 
146° 8' west. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred 
and sixty miles. Thermometer 50°. 

Octoher ^tJi. — Weather clear, wind blowing hard from 
the west ; course west-southwest ; latitude 36° 59' north^ 
longitude 149° 25' west. Distance run, up to 12 m., one 
hundred and fifty-seven miles. Thermometer 56°. 

Octoher 10th. — Sabbath. This forenoon we have di- 
vine service administered by the Rev. Mr. McKibben. 
Weather clear, wind blowing hard from the west ; course 
wes t- southwest ; latitude 36° 48' north, longitude 152° 
9' west. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and 
forty-eight miles. Thermometer 65°. 

Octoher ilth. — Weather stormy, and blowing a gale 
from the southwest ; sea very high ; course west-south- 
west ; latitude 35° 33' north, longitude 155° 8' west. 
Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and twenty-eight 
miles. Thermometer 65°. 

Octoher 12th. — Weather clear, wind blowing a gale 
from the southwest, accompanied by a heavy cross-sea ; 
course west-southwest; latitude 35° 11' north, longitude 
157° 33' west. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred 
and ten miles. Thermometer 62°. 

Octoher ISth. — Weather clear, with continuation of 
the southwest gale ; heavy sea running, and ship labor- 
ing hard; latitude 35° 13' north, longitude 159° 13' west. 
Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and six miles. 
Thermometer 65°. Course west-southwest. 

Octoher lith. — Weather clear, wind southwest ; the 



ON THE PACIFIC. 35 

gale is so violent and the sea so high, that the topsail- 
yards and light spars are lowered on deck, to relieve the 
ship from laboring so hard in making head against the 
gale and heavy sea. Thermometer 64°. Latitude 84° 
25' north, longitude 161° 36' west. Distance run, up to 
12 M., one hundred and twenty-seven miles. Course 
west-southwest. 

October IMh. — Weather clear. The southwest gale^ 
which has been blowing so fearfully for the last ninety 
hours, is gradually subsiding. Course west-southwest ; 
latitude 83° 25' north, longitude 163° 25' west. Distance 
run, up to 12 m., one hundred and thirty miles. Ther- 
mometer 70°. The sailors have been engaged all day 
sending aloft the ship's topsail-yards, which were brought 
on deck yesterday. 

October 16th. — Weather clear. Thermometer 70°. 
Wind fresh from the southwest ; course west-southwest ; 
latitude 33° 7' north, longitude 166° 53' west. Distance 
run, up to 12 m., one hundred and forty-nine miles. 

October 17th. — Sabbath. We have divine service on 
board, administered in the Episcojoal form, by Mr. Fow- 
ler, a member of the English House of Commons, and 
preaching by the Rev. Mr. McKibben. Weather clear. 
Thermometer 72°. Wind fresh from the southwest; 
course west-southwest; latitude 32° 27' north, longitude 
169° 31' west. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred 
and forty-two miles. 

October ISth. — Weather clear, and wind southwest, 
with a heavy cross-sea. Thermometer 80°. Course west- 
southwest; latitude 31° 04' north, longitude 172° 55' 



36 AROUND THE WORLD. 

\yest. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and sev- 
enty-five miles. 

Octoher 19th. — Weather clear, and wind fresh from 
the southwest. Thermometer 80°. Course west-south- 
west ; latitude 30° 51' north, longitude 176° 5' west. 
Distance run, u]) to 12 m., one hundred and sixty-nine 
miles. 

Octoher 20th. — Weather clear, and wind fresh from 
the southwest ; course west-southwest. Thermometer 
71°. Latitude 30° 51' north, longitude 179° 29' west. 
Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and seventy-six 
miles. 

October 2^d. — To-day we passed through an experi- 
ence that I never expect to verify again, and novel to 
most of the passengers, which occurs only on the Pacific 
Ocean. It was dropping a day out of the calendar. We 
retired to our beds as usual, and fell asleejD on Wednes- 
day night, the 20th; when we awoke the next morning 
we found, by the ship's log, that it was Friday, the 2 2d. 
We were not without warning of this strange coinci- 
dence, for it had been a matter of speculation for several 
days before, when ^ve should pass over the one hundred 
and eightieth degree of longitude. If we had crossed the 
meridian two days later, a Sunday would have been 
blotted out as though we had not lived it. 

Every one should know that, in traveling around the 
world from east to west, a day is absolutely lost from 
the calendar. If it Avere possible for one to go around 
the world in twenty-four houis, and retain the same 
relative position to the sun, he would travel with the 



ON THE PAdlFIC. 



37 



sun, and there would "be no loss or gain of time ; l)ut, l)y 
traveling more leisurely westward, a certain amount of 
time is added to eacli day, wMcli, in making the entire 
eirciut of the earth, causes a loss of one day from the 
calendar at some point in the journey, as if we had not 
lived it, virtually leaving but three hundred and sixty- 
four days in the year. 

The question arose, " Where shall the change of time 
be made in dropping the day \ " Navigators have an- 
swered this question by making the change on the one 
hundred and eightieth degree of longitude west, or east 
from Greenwich or London, which is practically the same 
thing. When they reach this meridian sailing westward, 
they drop a day, and when they reach it sailing east- 
ward they gain a day. There is no other point or line 
on the world's surface so favorable for making the change 
in reckoning, for dropping or adding a day, as that point 
which has been taken by the English and American 
navigators, the one hundred and eightieth degree of 
longitude. This line falls in the middle of the Pacific 
Ocean, where there are no inhabitants to be affected by 
the change, excepting on some scattered islands. For 
instance, according to the true method of time, while 
Saturday is kept on the one side of the meridian line of 
one hundred and eighty degrees longitude upon the scat- 
tered islands, Sunday is observed on the other side ; and 
dropping a day from tke calendar brought us in har- 
mony with the time kept in Japan, England, and New 
York. 

Our life on the Pacific is somQwhat monotonous. Not 



38 AROUND TEE WORLD. 

a sail of any kind has been seen since leaving the Golden 
Gate of California, except that on the first day out we 
saw two vessels going into port. But flocks of strange 
birds, with wings at least four feet from tip to tip, fol- 
lowed us for several days, picking up the crumbs thrown 
from the table, at last giving up tlie chase. 

Our meals were served with the utmost regularity, 
and all the waiters were Chinese boys, quick of per- 
ception, cheerful in their services, and quiet as lambs. 
Those who turn out early in the morning can get coffee 
from seven to eight o'clock ; at nine a substantial break- 
fast is served, lunch at one, dinner at six, and tea at 
eight ; but, with the thermometer from 70° to 80°, it is 
j)retty hard to respond to all the calls of the gong. To- 
day the weather is clear, and wind fresh from the south- 
west. Thermometer 82°. Course west-southwest; lati- 
tude 30° 8' north, longitude 176° 29' east. Distance 
run, up to 12 m., two hundred and nine miles. 

October 23^/. — Weather clear, and wind fresh from 
the southwest. Thermometer 82°. Course west-south-, 
west; latitude 30° 12' north, longitude l72° 35' east. 
Distance run, up to 12 m., two hundred and three miles. 

October 24:th. — Weather stormy, and wind blowing a 
gale from the southwest, accompanied by thunder and 
lightning, and heavy sea running. Thermometer 80°. 
Course west-southwest ; latitude 30° 22' north, longitude 
168° 13' east. Distance run, uj) to 12 m., one hundred 
and ninety -two miles. This being the SabbatL, we had 
preaching by the Kev. Mr. McKibben. 

October 2dth. — Weather clear, and the wind blowing 



ON THE PACIFIC. 39 

hard from the west. Thermometer 79°. Course west- 
southwest; Latitude 29° 51' north, hmgitude 1G5° 58' 
east. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and fifty- 
four miles. 

October ^^tli. — Weather clear, and wind blowing hard 
from the northwest. Thermometer 80°. Course west- 
south vv^est ; latitude 29° 47' north, longitude 161° 57' 
east. Distance run, up to 12 m., two hundred and ten 
miles. 

October ^^th. — Weather clear, and wind blowing hard 
from the southeast. Thermometer 84°. Latitude 29° 54' 
north, longitude 157° 29' east. Distance run, up to 12 m., 
two hundred and thirty -three miles. 

October 2HtJi. — Weather clear, and the wind blowing 
hard from the west, with heavy sea. Thermometer 81°. 
Latitude 30° 30' north, longitude 153° 49' east. Dis- 
tance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and ninety- three 
miles. 

October 29th. — Weather clear, and wind fresh from 
the southwest. Thermometer 82°. Course west-south- 
west; latitude 31° 14' north, longitude 150° 12' east. 
Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and ninety one 
miles. 

October SOth. — Weather clear, wind west - by - north 
and fresh, with moderate sea. Thermometer 80°. Course 
west-southwest; latitude 32° 28' north, longitude 145° 
5' east. Distance run, up to 12 m., two hundred and 
twenty -nine miles. 

October Slst. — Weather clear, and the wind blowing 
a gale from the northwest, with heavy sea. Therm ome- 



40 ABOUND THE WORLD. 

ter 74°. Course nortliwest ; latitude 33° 54^ north, longi- 
tude 141° 43' east. Distance run, up to 12 m., two hun- 
dred and tliirty-six miles. 

Novemher \st. — In consequence of adverse winds and 
heavy weather, we have been thirty-one days making the 
passage across the North Pacific, while an ordinary passage 
is only twenty-two days. But I have been at sea. when 
the sight of land was far more welcome, for this voyage 
was upon a summer sea, and under sunny skies nearly 
all the way, and the time has jjassed pleasantly on ship- 
board. As a rule, ships in crossing over the JSTorth Pa- 
cific Ocean do not run as fast as those crossing the At- 
lantic; but the economy of coal for a voyage of ^nq 
thousand miles is a serious consideration, when at least 
some thirteen hundred tons have to be provided for the 
voyage, and, if by any accident or detention the supply 
should run short, there is no intermediate coaling-station 
at which we could stop on this vast expanse of water, 
upon which we never caught sight of a sail, or craft of 
any description, after we got clear of the coast of Cali- 
fornia, and the engine never stopped, nor lost a single 
revolution, for the space of thirty-one days. 

The Pacific sea promised, when leaving San Fran- 
cisco, that we shouhl have a quick and smooth passage; 
learned doctors of divinity, and American and English 
statesmen, indorsed the assurance that the passage would 
be made in less than twenty-two days; that after we got 
through and away from the Golden Gate of California 
we should have the Pacific all serene. We did get clear 
of the Gate and across the bar in the most pacific way. 



ON THE PACIFIC. ^i 

and for one or two days all was gentle and mild ; "but, 
for the next twenty-eight days, we had a succession of 
crops of white foam, and our noble ship, the Alaska, was 
oftener on her beam-ends than on her keel. 

As we approached the coast of Japan, w^e ran through 
a school of whales, playfully disporting themselves in 
the waters ; soon after we were entering the harbor of 
Yokohama, the principal port of Japan, in which ves- 
sels of all nations, both men-of-war and merchantmen, 
were anchored in the bay. The Stars-and-Stripes were 
floating to the breeze, from the mastheads of a number 
of ships. The firing of the ship's gun, and the drojD- 
ping of the anchor, brought around us a number of 
boats, all propelled with sculls by the natives, both men 
and women; some of them were loaded with people 
looking after friends on board, and others came to take 
on shore the passengers. The excitement and confusion 
were so great that we were at a loss to know what boat 
to take ; but, at length, the proprietor or runner of the 
Grand Hotel solicited our company, when we piled in 
our luggage and took passage for the shore — about three 
hundred yards distant from the ship — for which he 
charged two dollars a passenger for about ten minutes' 
work. We w^ere afterward informed that the regular 
fare was only ten cents a passenger. After our luggage 
had been examined by the custom-house officials, we 
made our way to the Grand Hotel, and, looking at the 
rooms which we proposed to occupy, we were informed 
that the board was six dollars a day for each person. I 
said to Mr. Smith, the proprietor of the house, that we 



42 AROUND THE WORLD. 

had no fault to find with the rooms selected, but that 
we were from a land of civilization, and expected to pay 
full value for whatever we received, but, thinking that 
his fare was entirely too high, and that we should take 
up our abode in the International Hotel, only a few rods 
farther west, and equally as good if not a better house, 
we accordingly made a movement to leave, when he of- 
fered to take us for three dollars per day, which is the 
ordinary price in all the first-class houses in Yokohama. 



CHAPTER IV. 

EXCURSIONS IN JAPAN. 

November ^d. — Yokohama is divided into three parts. 
The commercial district — whe^ we landed — was built, 
and is occupied principally, by English merchants. There 
are no wharves, but a wide street extending over a mile 
along the water, on the shore-side of which the foreign 
merchants have their bungalows and offices; some of 
these have fine gardens, surrounded with walls, and the 
yards ornamented with Oriental shrubbery and flowers. 
The high bluffs to the left form another section of the 
city, where many of the merchants reside. From this 
beautiful elevation a fine view of the city and harbor is 
obtained. The Oriental section is more in the back- 
ground, where the Japanese as a peoj)le keep to them- 
selves, and seem to be quiet and inoffensive. 

November M, — This morning early, in company with 
Mr. and Mrs. Runnels, and Mr. Otto, we leave by the 
cars for Yeddo, distance twenty-four miles, fare one dol- 
lar. This railroad was built as an experiment by an 
English company for the Japanese, and was the first 
road operated in the empire. On reaching Yeddo, each 
one of our party was mounted in a small vehicle called 
gin-rihi-sJia^ in which there is only room for one person, 
and is drawn by a coolie, who could make as good time 



44 AROUND THE WORLD. 

over the smootli streets as a pony. We also procured a 
guide who had been trained for the route, and who 
spoke English sufficient to be understood. We at first 
drove to see the American minister, who has his resi- 
dence in the city of Yeddo, and who furnished us with 
such passes as we required to go over the city and visit 
the institutions. 

The city of Tokio, formerly Yeddo, is some nine miles 
long and eight miles wide. About one-eighth of the 
city's area is occupied by canals and the moats of the 
castle. The city fronts on a large and spacious bay of 
the same name, but the water is too shallow to admit 
the largest ships, and those engaged in foreign trade 
found that they could do business better in Yokohama, 
at which place their cargoes are discharged on lighters 
and taken to Tokio. The castle is in the centre of the 
city. We rode around its walls. It consists of a central 
citadel, and a large area of land, within strong earthen 
embankments planted with trees and faced with heavy 
stone-walls, over fifty feet in height, and built in a man- 
ner well fitted to resist earthquakes and land-slides, to 
which the country is subjected. 

There are a great number of temples in the city, be- 
longing chiefly to the numerous Buddhist sects. The 
two principal religions of Japan are the Buddhist and 
the Shinto (doctrine of the gods). The former is the 
popular, and the latter appears to be the official religion. 
There are also a great number of Buddhist monasteries, 
and a few nunneries, in the city. The population of 
Tokio, or Yeddo, is reported to be over one million souls. 



EXCURSIONS IN JAPAN. 45 

It will be remembered that Yeddo was founded by 
lyeyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa line. While 
Yeddo was the shogun's, Kioto was the mikado's capital. 
The last shogun abdicated in 1857, at which time the 
office was abolished, and the name of Yeddo passed away 
with that of shogun, the designation of the city being 
changed to Tokio, or Eastern Capital. The mikado, or 
emperor, took up his residence in it, and it is now the 
capital of the empire. 

We, in our gin-rihi-sJias^ were drawn from temple to 
temple with great rapidity. We paid the coolies well, 
occasionally giving them a little backshish to keep up 
their courage. The temples of Tokio tower above all 
the other buildings of the city. The houses and shops 
are all built low, only from one to two stories, so that 
they may not have far to fall in case of earthquakes, 
which are frequent. The first temple that we entered 
ivas from fifty to sixty feet high. The architecture was 
purely Oriental and imposing, and the interior far more 
beautiful and in better taste than I expected to find it, 
from the weather-beaten appearance of the exterior. We 
next drove to Atangoreama, which is located in the cen- 
tre of the city upon a high blufi^, reached by a long flight 
of stone steps, about one hundred in all. From this bluff 
we obtained a fine view of the city, and overlooked the 
castle or palace of the tycoon. The castle stands upon 
high ground, strongly fortified, with walled terraces and 
deep, wide moats, seemingly almost impregnable to any 
attack; and a drive along the castle-walls, and moats 
:filled with water, is one of the great attractions of Tokio. 



46 AUOTJND THE WORLD. 

We also visited Stago Yama, anotlier elevated spot^ 
whence we obtained a magnificent view of the shipping 
in the harbor, and the tops of the temples. The summit 
of this mount is reached by two flights of steps — one to 
the right for gentlemen, and one to the left for ladies. 
The mount is adorned with large shade-trees, from ap- 
pearance a hundred years old. This city originally was 
built on a plain, and these high mounds, looming up 
over every other object, are artificial, the earth having 
been brought into the city by hand-labor, and raised up 
to beautify the place. 

Yeddo, or Tokio, is not an ancient city. Its site be- 
came historic when Yamato Date, in the second century 
of our era, marched to conquer the eastern tribes. In 
later times the Mimamonto chieftains subdued the plains 
of the Kuanto, and, until the twelfth century, the region 
around the bay of Yeddo was wild, uncivilized, and 
with few inhabitants. 

This being the mikado's birthday, there was a great 
display of flags ; every house and store was decorated, 
music was heard in every part of the city, and in all the 
temples they were praying to their gods — that is, if 
beating on drums, to awaken the spirits of those whom 
they propose to worship, can be called praying ; others 
came 'from behind a curtain and engaged in what is 
called the sacred dance, cutting up all kinds of antics •; 
and yet, in the way it was performed, it seemed solemn 
and devout. 

We visited the Asakusa Temple, which is the most 
popular in Tokio, if not the most celebrated in Japan. 



EXaURSlONSl IN JAPAN. 4^ 

The approacli to this temple is through an avenue lined 
on both sides with a great variety of toy-shops and 
booths, filled with all sorts of gay ornaments for sale. 
Behind these booths are small shrines and temples. At 
the end of the avenue is a large gate, through which we 
entered, when we came to a huge red building called 
the temple. We noticed in passing through the gate 
two colossal gods, or demons, in niches behind iron 
screens, who are the guardians of the gate : one is ever 
ready to welcome the man who repents and endeavors 
to reform ; the other is pleased when children are born 
who will become good men. Entering the court-yard of 
the temple, flocks of pigeons are seen, for whose benefit 
women sell rice and peas in little earthen pots, which 
worshipers buy as an act of piety and cast to the sacred 
fowls. To the left, in a stall, is seen the albino pony, 
sacred to Kuanon, to whose honor the temple was built. 
The pony is also fed by pious contributions. Within 
the door of the temple is a large bronze incense-burner, 
on which are the twelve signs of the zodiac. In front 
of the large contribution-box, around the altar, several 
were kneeling in prayer to their gods ; this altar is richly 
adorned with srilt imaQ;es, and lig-hted. The ceilino;s and 
walls are covered with specimens of the sacred paintings 
of the Japanese Buddhistic art. Angels, gods, and heroes 
are represented, and numerous tablets are hung upon 
the walls. 

There are a large number of subordinate temples, 
shrines, and images, within the temple-grounds ; a pa- 
goda, a hall of services, an octagon temple, with several 



48 AROUND THE WORLD. 

hundred small idols in it, many tea-booths, a curious 
rude theatre, and many other attractions to the stranger. 
We also saw many representations of animals, life-size, 
of all kinds, and very imperfect in construction — the 
most hideous-looking images I ever witnessed. In these 
temples they expect a fee for admission, which is left en- 
tirely to the generosity of the visitor. 

The temple of the live hundred sages, or disciples of 
Buddha, is most interesting. On entering the first build- 
ing we saw on the floor, near the main entrance, an 
image having three eyes, horns in the back, long hair 
like a woman's, and hoofs like a horse. In the second 
building, from a floor of earth rises a colossal throne of 
water- worn bowlders of volcanic rock, and masses of lava, 
on which stands a large gilt image of Buddha, the 
founder of their religion. On one side of him appears 
the representation of an elephant, and on the other that 
of a lion; on his right stands Kasha, his best disciple, 
who collected all the discourses and remembered say- 
ings of his master, and formed the original Buddhist 
canon. On his left stands Anan, who was gifted with 
a wonderful memory : he remembered all that his mas- 
ter said and taught. The number of original disciples 
of Buddha was sixteen ; and these ^y^ hundred were 
later converts, who devoted themselves to the priesthood 
and became missionaries, and who propagated Buddhism 
in the upper provinces. Most of them are portrayed in 
attitudes of meditation, some purifying their bodies. 
All have shaven heads and priestly robes, and some are 
adorned with their symbols of oflice — staff, scroll, keys, 



EXCURSIONS m JAPAN. 49 

etc. Immediately inside the railing, to the k:ift, is a 
dark-colored image of Ema, the lord and judge of hell. 

November Mli. — On our return to Yokohama we de- 
voted some time to visiting the Oriental shops where 
they have for sale many curiosities of their own handi- 
work, such as ivory toys, paintings on silk cloth, lacquer- 
ware, and many other small articles, all of which they 
are most eager to sell to strangers. Many of the shop- 
keepers in Yokohama can speak enough broken English 
to be understood, and those who cannot call in an in- 
terpreter. 

The money in use among foreigners at Yokohama 
consists of Mexican and American trade - dollars and 
bank-notes. For small change the Japanese silver, paper, 
and copper currency is universally used. The Japanese 
coins and denominations are as follows, viz. : copper 
cash is the one-tenth part of a copper cent, or, as called 
here, sen; twenty-five sens make one ^^^, fifty sens make 
two hu^ and one hundred sens four hii. 

November ^tJi. — This morning early, in company with 
Mr. and Mrs. Kunnels, and Mr. Otto, some of our ship- 
mates, we start upon an excursion out into the interior 
of the country. We rode in small gin-riM-slias^ drawn 
by two coolies. We took our cook and eatables with 
us, and were gone for two days and one night, passing 
through deep ravines, and over mountain-tops, dotted 
with towns and cities. Every foot of the land that 
could be worked was under the highest state of cultiva- 
tion, one tier of rice and cotton fields rising above an- 
other, by a slight gradation, and farther up on the sides 



60 



AROUND THE WORLD. 



of tlie mountains vegetation was seen in perfection. 
As we passed ttrougli tlie numerous villages, we were 
constantly greeted witli tlie cry — from men, women, and 
children — '' 0-lia-yo ? " meaning " How are you ? " We 
stopped at Kamakura, whicli was formerly tlie political 
capital of Japan. Every spot of ground in and around 




Kamakura is classic to the Japanese, and the great bulk 
of the vast store of the Japanese histories and historical 
romances have their chief scenes laid in or near Kama- 
kura. The city is said to have contained at one period 
two hundred thousand houses, but very little remains 
to-day to attest its former greatness. Heavy forest-trees 



EXCURSIONS IN JAPAN. 5;[ 

now cover tlie ground upon whicli the ancient city stood, 
and where scores, if not hundreds, of battles have been 
fought, and streams of blood have flowed. The chief 
place of interest is the temple, which stands on a lofty- 
plateau, reached by a high flight of stone steps ; in front 
of the temple stands a canopy, used on festival occasions 
by musicians and sacred dancers. About one mile from 
Kamakura we enter the village of Hasemura, near which 
stands the famous bronze image of Buddha. The ap- 
proach to it is through a very beautiful avenue, over- 
hung with evergreens. This image is the largest in tlie 
world, being forty-four feet high and of good 2:)ropor- 
tions. The material is said to be an alloy of copper, 
with a slight mixture of gold. We had the curiosity to 
go inside, where there are numerous gilt idols worshiped 
by the Japanese. On leaving this the greatest of all 
images, we soon approached the sea-shore, along which we 
were obliged to walk, through the deep sand, some tAvo 
or three miles, to relieve our coolies, who by the day's 
journey were much fatigued. When we came to solid 
ground we again mounted our gin-riM-slias, and rode till 
we came to the village of Enoshima, where we stopped 
overnight. It was quite dark on our arrival in this an- 
cient town, to which we had to ascend from the sandy 
shore, through a narrow street, over numerous stone 
steps, till we came to the inn, or what is commonly called 
a tea-house. When the inmates saw us coming up the 
steps, they ran out to welcome us, and on entering the 
upper chamber we were politely requested by the head 
of the house to pull off our boots, which is one of the 



52 AROUND TEE WORLD. 

marked customs of tlie country. Everything was per- 
fectly neat and clean, but there was not a particle of 
furniture in the rooms. During our sojourn they treated 
us with marked attention and cordiality, laughing, and 
in good-humor trying to entertain in the best possible 
way ; and yet we could not speak a word of their lan- 
guage, but by the art of pantomime we managed to get 
what we required. When bedtime had arrived, quilts 
were spread upon the bare floor ; we being fatigued by 
the day's journey, the night's repose was quite as com- 
fortable as in a first-class hotel. 

November 6th. — This morning we rose early, and after 
breakfast prepared by our cook, and paying our bills, 
we took a stroll over the island. We visited the fancy 
stores, and the numerous temples and shrines. Eno- 
shima is only an island at high tide ; at low water it is 
a peninsula. It is heavily timbered, and clothed with 
dense masses of evergreen foliage. There is a story to 
the effect that, in ancient times, there were ^ve huge 
dragons living in the marshes of the island, and no man 
had the courage to approach them. Many people were 
devoured, and one rich man lost all his children, who 
were eaten by the monsters. After the power of the 
protecting goddess had sprung up on the island, the 
dragons ceased their ravages. 

Passing over the high lands of the island, a beautiful 
view of the sea is obtained. As we follow the path, we 
come to a deep gorge in the rocks, and farther on pass 
shell-booths on either side ; and in a short time we de- 
scend the high embankment upon the sea-shore and see 



EXCURSIONS IN JAPAN 



63 



the cave, which only can be reached at a low stage of 
the tide. 

On leaving the island we return by another road than 
that by which we came. The first village is Katase, in- 
habited by fishermen, and is not noted for cleanliness. 
It contains a Bnddhist temple, and several small shrines, 








FUSI TAMA. 



for which the entire country is noted; they may be seen 
in the rice and cotton fields, and even along the road- 
side. We are now in close proximity to the great vol- 
cano Fusi Yama, the sacred mountain of fire, the pride 
and glory of Japan, which the Japanese, as by a sense 
of religious duty, put in every picture and on every 
article that they] manufacture. Fusi Yama is not in 



54 



AROUND THE WORLD. 



a state of eruption, but the volcano, looming up over 
fourteen thousand feet, can be seen at sea in a clear day 
nearly one hundred miles. 

After leaving Katase we soon pass over a beautiful 
little river. Nearly all the streams in Japan have their 
source in the mountains, falling down gorges and steep 
inclines to the sea. At noon we stopped at Totsuka, 
where, according to arrangement, we met our coolies, 




^ 



^^iimm^^M^g^^^^^,^ 



JAPANESE GIRLS. 



who went in advance to make preparations for dinner, 
and had the table spread out. The tea-house in which 
we took lunch was clean, and the coolie girls in attend- 
ance rather pretty. Most of the country-houses are one 
story high, with straw-thatched roofs ; they have open 
fronts, and for window-glass is substituted rice-paper. 
As we passed through the farming districts, we saw 
scores of the natives working in the rice and cotton fields 
as naked as when born. Tlie women had on some cloth- 



EXCURSIONS IN JAPAN 55 

ing, but were bareheaded and barefooted. When work- 
ing in the fields or shops they carry their babes in sacks^ 
fastened by a strap on their backs. 

In every city and hamlet through whicli we passed 
Buddhist temples or shrines may be seen, and in every 
temple are images, candles, bells, drums, books, and a 
variety of altar ornaments. In front of the temples are 
usually two huge red images — the one hates evil, and 
the other welcomes good. Sandals are often hung be- 
fore them by devotees who are anxious to walk the strict 
path of virtue, or those having sore feet ; these pious 
worshipers often fling balls of chewed paper at them : if 
the balls stick to the image the omen is good, and their 
prayers are answered. We occasionally, in some of the 
larger towns, see a Shinto temple, where devotees wor- 
ship the Shinto gods, and live in fear and reverence of 
the memories of the dead. 

Buddhism in Japan was introduced from India, 
through China and Corea, ^lyq hundred years after the 
Christian era, and in India six hundred years before 
Christ. They worship Buddha, and a host of deceased 
men, and pray to a vast number of saints ; th.ey believe 
in progressive states of future reward and punishment, 
and are influenced in their actions by the fears and hopes 
of the world to come. 

Just before reaching Yokohama, but within its pre- 
cincts, we passed by the execution-ground, where crimi- 
nals are beheaded for murder, burglary, and often for 
smaller crimes. The grounds were large, and surrounded 
by a high fence, giving them a very gloomy appearance. 



56 AROUND THE WORLD. 

November 1th. — This being the Sabbath, the Eev. 
Mr. Ballagh, missionary, formerly of New Jersey, called 
to see me, with whom I attended the Reformed Church. 
The edifice is new and recently finished, neat in its con- 
struction, and will seat about four hundred. The na- 
tives keep no sabbath ; but they have many sacred 
days and holidays on which they hold their religious 
festivals. 

November %th. — To-day I called on the Eev. J. H. 
Ballagh, who kindly showed me through the missionary 
buildings, and the new seminary erected for the native 
young ladies. This fine edifice is situated on the bluff 
overhanging the city of Yokohama, and affords a most 
beautiful and interesting panoramic view of the harbor, 
filled as it is with vessels of different nations and^of 
every rig. This female seminary was built by American 
contributions, in which the Sabbath-school of Bergen 
Point, New Jersey, took an active part. The young 
ladies attending the seminary were dressed in English 
costume, neat and clean in appearance, and prove apt 
and quick in their studies. They are taught in their 
native language, and in the English if desired. 

Missionaries in the treaty ports of Japan are doing 
a good and profitable work. Some of those sent out by 
the American and English boards are taken under the 
cognizance and into the pay of the Government, with 
the distinct understanding that they are at liberty to 
teach Bible truth in their schools. 



CHAPTER V. 



JAPAN. 



Novemher ^tli. — Japan is a land of great beauty, and 
ricli in fertility. The Government and its inhabitants 
are being rapidly transformed into an enlightened civ- 
ilization, and all that has been told us recently of the 
empire is abundantly confirmed by observation and ex- 
perience. The railway and the telegraph are teaching 
the people great lessons of social reform. The two- 
sworded warriors are scarcely to be seen in the streets 
as hitherto, and there is substituted for these blood- 
thirsty desperadoes an improved system of police. 

There are a great many foreigners employed and 
doing business in the treaty ports of Japan, as engineers, 
surgeons, teachers, etc. Great Britain holds an enviable 
position in this category of officials, and British influence 
is made manifest in many ways. There are several news- 
papers printed in English, and to some extent the Eng- 
lish language is spoken, but it is not known by the na- 
tives in the country towns. Until within the last few 
years, foreigners were not permitted to enter the pre- 
cincts of Tokio without a military escort, but now all 
strangers have the liberty to visit and explore with the 
greatest degree of safety. We were drawn in the gin- 

riki-shas^ and entered the great temple of Shiba, and the 
5 



58 AROUND THE WORLD. 

tombs of the tycoons and tlieir wives, and rode freely 
througli and around tlie city, visiting all tlie principal 
temples and places of sacred dancing, without being mo- 
lested. The mikado, unlike the exclusive and secluded 
emperors of many ages ago, mingles with the people, and 
holds converse with the representatives of foreign states, 
and numerous embassies and delegations are sent to 
Europe and America, all designed to collect such infor- 
mation as will promote the best interests of law and order. 

The territory of Japan comprises four large islands 
and nearly four thousand smaller ones. There are seven 
grand divisions, which are subdivided into sixty-eight 
provinces, and these again into smaller districts and 
towns. It has an area of one hundred and ninety thou- 
sand square miles, and a population of about thirty mill- 
ion. She was once in the far-off Orient, but is now our 
nearest Western neighbor. Her people walk our streets; 
her young men are being educated in our colleges ; her 
art adorns our homes, and has opened to us a new field 
of commerce. 

In Japan, for the last six hundred years, there have 
been both a civil and a religious ruler, although the 
latter was scarcely anything more than a nominal officer. 
The former, known under the name of tycoon, had the 
reins of government in his own hands ; but the mikado 
was recognized as the religious head of the empire, and 
was superior in rank to the tycoon, and yet he had little 
to do with public affairs. In the year 1868 a revolution 
was inaugurated, and at length became successful, l)y 
which the power of the tycoon was overthrown, and he 



JAPAN. 59 

was reduced to the position of a prince of the empire. 
The mikado was duly installed and recognized as su- 
preme ruler. Under him he has two hundred and sixty 
daimios, of whom eigliteen are the cliiefs of the empire 
or feudal lords, with supreme authority in their own 
provinces, and having under their control thousands of 
retainers to do their fighting. Before the late change in 
the government the daimics were required to reside at 
the capital at least half the year, as hostages or pledges 
of their adherence to and support of the reigning power ; 
but since the change they are allowed to reside in their 
own provinces. 

The mikado, who is now the supreme and only ac- 
knowledged head of the government, formerly had his 
palace at Miako, the religious capital of the empire ; but, 
since he has been acknowledged as emperor, he has taken 
up his residence at Tokio. 

The Japanese are quick in apjorehension, and willing 
to learn from others. They are decidedly ingenious, but 
are wanting in mental vigor as compared with the 
Chinese, their neighbors. They are, however, exceed- 
ingly polite and easy in all their intercourse. The jjeoj^le, 
even in the more retired country districts, have a certain 
grace, and are as affable in their manners, and as polite 
in their intercourse, as those who dwell in the cities. 

In their shops and houses they are the pattern of 
neatness and good taste. One may walk for miles through 
their streets, looking into their dwellings and places of 
business, which are all open to the gaze of the public, 
and he will never tire in his admiration of the clean li- 



60 AROUND 2 HE WORLD, 

ness wliicli prevails, and of the regard to tlie arrangement 
of their various articles offered for sale. 

The dwellings are only from one to tv^o stories in 
height, with open fronts. The first floor is commonly 
used for a shop, in which something is offered for sale. 
The little gardens in the rear attached to their dwellings 
or places of business are pretty, and as neat as their 
houses. 

The Japanese generally have fine teeth, but when a 
woman marries she is compelled by the laws of society 
to dye her teeth black, and this process is renewed at 
least once a week. In city or country, wherever we go, 
we meet the grim smile of women who have fallen into 
the bonds of matrimony. What was the origin of this 
custom I do not know, unless it was to designate the 
married from the unmarried. There is nothing more 
distasteful than to see a person with black teeth. 

The men in Japan shave their heads, making a bald 
spot upon the crown, which likens them to Jesuit priests, 
while they have a narrow circle of hair around the head. 
Both men and women shave the eyebrows off smooth, and 
have the hair carefully plucked out of the ears and nose. 
The barber is an important functionary, who does his 
work on the streets, where scores of both sexes may be 
seen daily sitting upon the sidewalks, having their heads 
shaved and hair trimmed. 

The Japanese ladies are generally proud ; the higher 
class go dressed in their silks of domestic make with 
their faces colored in a modest style; they wear no stock- 
ings, but have sandals of mat, and some have wooden 



JAPAN. 



61 



shoes. The men and women bear a similar expression, 
and can only be designated by their dress. They are 




JAPANESE BARBERS. 



small in stature, of a dark-bronze complexion, with small 
features, and are rather a pretty race of people. 

Many of their customs are very op230site to those of 



Q2 AROUND THE WORLD. 

other nations. The carpenter, in using the plane, draws 
it toward him instead of pushing it. It is the same with 
the saw, which he draws when he wishes to cut. They 
have their horses and oxen shod with straw mats in- 
stead of iron, and the streets are strewed with cast-off 
sandals of the ponies. 

In some of the arts the Japanese are in advance of 
all other nations. The porcelain of Japan, although it 
takes its name from the Celestial Empire, is rarely rivaled 
in China. The lacquer-ware is beyond comparison with 
the productions of any other country. They excel in 
working metals, especially in bronzes and in all inlaying 
work. They also have a great fondness for painting on 
silk, and drawing. Their books are profusely illustrated 
with plates highly colored. 



CHAPTER VI. 

INLAND SEA OF JAPAN AND YELLOW SEA OF CHINA. 

JSfove'inher 10th. — This afternoon at four o'clock we 
take passage on board the American steamship Golden 
Age, Captain Furber, for Shanghai, China; distance 
twelve hundred miles, fare sixty-five dollars apiece. We 
have in company twenty-five first-class passengers. The 
Golden Age is of the capacity of two thousand tons, and 
a fine sea-going vessel. Shortly after the ship's anchor is 
weighed, steaming out the harbor, we get sight of flying- 
fish with their silver bodies and transparent wings, fleet 
as birds ; some of them flew from one to two hundred 
feet before lighting. This kind of fish were not new to 
me, for I had often seen them in the Gulf of Mexico. 

NoveTYiber Wtli. — This forenoon we encountered heavy 
winds from the northwest and fi rough sea, but later in 
the day, as we approached the numerous small islands, 
which make up the Inland Sea of Japan, the waters were 
perfectly clear, without a rip])le upon their surface. 

November 12th. — This morning, just at the break of 
day, we arrived in the port of Hiogo, where our ship re- 
mained at anchor for twenty-three hours, giving the pas- 
sengers an opportunity of visiting the city. Hiogo is 
beautifully situated upon a spacious bay, with a back- 
ground of high, picturesque mountains, and containing 



64 AROUND THE WORLD. 

one hundred and fifty thousand souls. There are several 
large English vessels at anchor waiting for cargoes of 
tea. Hiogo is one of the treaty ports. Osaka is fifteen 
miles distant, and is the site of the fortified castle of the 
tycoons, destroyed by fire in the late revolution. It is a 
city of great wealth, its silk-houses surpassing those of 
any other city in the empire. Our time being limited, 
we did not visit Osaka, but occupied ourselves in looking 
through the ancient city of Hiogo. 

November l^th. — At fiYe o'clock this morning I was 
aroused by the sound of the ship's gun, when the anchor 
was weighed, and we were soon after steaming through 
the beautiful Inland Sea. Nature seems to have done more 
for Japan than for raiy country in which I have been — 
^ts delightful climate, fishing-lakes, and diversified moun- 
tains, so richly clad with brushwood, occasionally dotted 
with towns and cities, constantly presenting to our gaze 
a perfect panoramic view. I have seen all the principal 
lakes in Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland, and America, but 
this surpasses each of them, and combines the best feat- 
ures all in one. 

November lUli. — Sabbath. This morning early I was 
again aroused from slumber by the noise of the ship's 
gun resounding through the harbor, reverberating among 
the mountains which overlook the town, and when I 
went on deck. Captain Furber informed me that we were 
in the harl^or of Shine Sacka, wliich is entirely landlocked 
by a higli group of mountains formed by the islands of 
*tlie sea. It was novel to see the natives come off and be- 
siege the sliip with their canoes, many of them having 



\INLANL SEA OF JAPAN. (;5 

oranges and a variety of other fruits for sale. In tliis 
section of Japan, upon the smaller islands, the land is 
rich in fertility, but the people are far behind tlie 
age in agricultural implements. The soil is all dug 
up withL the hoe. I did not see a plough, shovel, nor 
spade, in the country. They have no barns nor out- 
houses in vv^hich to [)ut their crops ; the grain is thrashed 
out in the fields, and carried in baskets to their dwellings, 
in which it is stored. 

At half-past ten o'clock we resume our voyage. We 
find a perfect panoramic view of over four hundred miles 
of the most delightful scenery of ever-charming and never- 
ending beauties. The weather is both clear and calm. 
The channel twists around and among the islands in all 
directions, so that the headlands which we pass seem as 
fleeting as the clouds, producing ever-varying scenery. 
During one hour we are making our way along under 
the deep shadow of some naked precipice looming up 
thousands of feet ; in the next we are passing terraced 
hill-sides covered with flowery plains and fields, and 
forests, in which the bamboo, the tulip, and the cypress 
commingle. It seems as if the busy population of the 
whole empire has clustered on those romantic shores, and 
the fishing-boats may be numbered by thousands, filled 
with natives taking fish in great quantities. 

November \^tJi, — About midnight I heard the sound 
of the ship's gun reecho among the hills and valleys, 
which indicated our arrival in the port of Nagasaki. 
Early in the morning we w^ent on shore and called on 
Mr. Mangum, the American consul, w^ho kindly oftered 



66 



AROUND THE WORLD. 



his services to show us about the town, but we being 
accompanied by Dr. Painter, who had formerly lived 
here and could speak the language, declined, thanking 
him for his kind offer. 

Nagasaki is very beautifully situated at the base of 
the mountains, sloping gradually down to the sea, and 




containing a j^opulation of about one hundred thousand. 
Our ship stopped here part of two days, affording us an 
opportunity to visit the town and surroundings, which 
will rival in grandeur and diversified scenery any city 
that I have been in. 

November \6i1i. — This morning, in company with Mr. 



THE YELLOW SEA. f,^ 

and Mrs. Runnels and Dr. Painter, we take a ramble over 
the city. Soon after leaving the English settlement, we 
find ourselves in the ancient town, which in character is 
purely Oriental, where we visit shop after shop looking 
at fancy articles, of which turtle-shell is one of the 
specialties. At twelve o'clock we hear the sound of the 
ship's gun to notify the passengers to be in readiness. 
We accordingly hasten on board, and in a few moments 
the anchor is weighed, and our noble ship steaming out 
of the harbor. We soon approach and pass by Takaboko 
Island, which is more like a huo-e rock looming: out of the 
sea, and has a melancholy history. At the close of the 
sixteenth century, when the introduction of Christianity 
by the Jesuits excited the apprehension of the Japanese 
Government, and when the order was given to exterminate 
the foreign religion by a bloody persecution, many thou- 
sands of Christians iled to this island for a last refuge ; 
they were pursued by the natives, and those who escaped 
the sword were driven into the sea and perished in the 
waters ; and a large number of natives were afterward 
arrested and condemned to death or servitude for ad- 
herence to that faith. 

Our stay in Japan of some two or three weeks was 
highly enjoyed by us. As we look back over its land- 
scape, it is with regret that our stay could not have been 
prolonged, and no country will be remembered by us 
with more interest than Japan. 

November 17/A.— This morninsf we find ourselves in 
the Yellow Sea, out of sight of land. Weather clear; 
thermometer 71° ; wind fresh from the northwest ; course 



^8 AROUND THE WORLD. 

west. Here we meet the yellow-colored waters, some 
two liundred miles from land, wliich have their source 
from the Yang-tse-kiang River, one of the largest rivers 
of the East, and said to be thirt}'-iive hundred miles 
in length, and navigable for lai'ge river-steamers for 
nearly one thousand, and for smaller class two thousand, 
miles. It is the constant washing away of its yellow 
clay-banks coloring the waters, ebbing to the ocean, 
which constitutes the Yellow Sea. Soon after leaving 
these yellow waters we enter Woosung River, on which 
Shanghai is situated, about twelve miles from its mouth. 
At the entrance we passed by a long range of earth- 
works — one of the Chinese forts — guarded by a large 
force of soldiers, and in front lie several English war- 
vessels, among which I saw two American men-of-war, 
for the protection of English and American commerce, 
and also a large fleet of Chinese war-junks, doubtless 
built after the model that was most approved over a 
thousand years ago. 

At 2 p. M. we arrive in Shanghai; here we undergo 
an examination of our baggage by custom-house officials 
and then take quarters in the Central Hotel, board two 
dollars and a half per day. 



CHAPTEK VII. 

SHANGHAI TO HONG-KONG. 

November IStJi. — Shanghai is one of the large sea- 
port towns of China for the shipment of tea; it contains 
a population of three hundred thousand. The sti-eets 
are narrow, and kept tolerably clean for an Oriental 
town literally filled with people. Hei'e we see a differ- 
ent people, and hear a different dialect spoken, from those 
of Japan. 

The recent events which have taken place in Japan 
and India have drawn public attention to the Chinese 
Empire more than ever before. Her neighbors, both 
Japan and India, are building and extending their rail- 
roads, to which China has been opposed. The changes 
now initiated by her close neighbors will compel China 
ere long to fall in with the demands of foreign powers, 
or else her rulers will gradually be driven away, and 
give place to others more in unison with the new order 
of things. There are, however, great vitality and self- 
support in her institutions, and in the peaceful industry 
of the mass of the Chinese people, and these features of 
their personal and national character furnish grounds 
of hope that they will adapt themselves to the march of 
improvement. 



70 AROUND THE WORLD. 

The Chinese census of 1839 gave a j)opulation of 
four hundred and fifteen million ; during the last twenty 
years, however, civil wars, famine, and pestilence, have 
probably reduced the population to about three hundred 
and seventy-five million. Even at this estimate it is 
nearly ten times that of the United States, and about 
one-third of the earth's inhabitants is found in this em- 
pire. The origin of the Chinese, from the best light we 
have, appears to be as follows : During the first century 
after the confounding of tongues, five or six nomadic 
tribes from the region southeast of the Caspian Sea made 
their way eastward, seeking out the best- watered and 
most productive places, and finally settled along the 
banks of the Yang-tse-kiang River, in the central and 
western portion of what is now the Chinese Empire. 
Therefore China has existed almost from the time of the 
confusion of tongues, and has had a consolidated gov- 
ernment or nationality for nearly three thousand years. 
Other ancient nations, as the Assyrians, Babylonians, 
Egyptians, Persians, and Greeks, all rose and flourished 
for a time, but at length became extinct, and the moul- 
dering ruins of their renowned cities alone tell of their 
former greatness. Later empires, as the Syrian and Ro- 
man, rose, had their period of prospeiity and power, and 
long since fell into decay. But here stands China to- 
day, unmoved by the waves of time, existing through all 
the long ages, with her system of government, her laws, 
her arts, her habits and customs, unchanged. A won- 
derful nation that, thus to withstand the shock of re- 
peated bloody revolutions, and changes of rulers, and 



SHANGHAI TO HONG-KONG. 7X 

remain tlie same amid all national vicissitudes for so 
many ages. At the departure of the Hebrews from 
Egy])t, China was already about seven hundred years 
old; when Isaiah prophesied Israel's future conversion 
to God, China had existed fifteen centuries. 

Some idea of the vast extent of the Chinese Empire 
may be obtained by considering its line of sea-coast, 
running nearly three thousand miles, having an area of 
about five million square miles, its magnificent rivers, 
the largest of which is the Yang-tse-kiang, being thirty- 
five hundred miles in length, the third river in the world, 
and draining a basin of about eight hundred and fifty 
thousand square miles. 

The Chinese have more strength of intellect, more 
solidity of character, and a higher civilization, than any 
other heathen nation. This is shown by their formation 
of a wise system of government, and an able code of 
laws ; by their invention of the art of manufacturing silk 
fabrics, which, near the commencement of the Christian 
era, were sold to the Romans for their weight in gold ; 
also, by the manufacture of porcelain and china ware, the 
best in the world ; by the invention and use of gunjDow- 
der, and the magnetic needle ; and by the invention of 
the art of printing, five hundred years before it was 
known in the West. They have good mental jDOwers, 
which is shown by their extensive literature. As an 
indication of their intellectual ability, the fact may be 
mentioned that the few Chinese who have been educated 
in European and American colleges and universities have 
acquitted themselves with honor, A few years since a 



72 AROUND THE WORLD. 

Chinaman in Yale College bore off tlie first prize in his 
class for merit in English composition. 

1^0 science is taught in their schools ; their literary 
men are utterly ignorant of the natural sciences, and of 
the geography and history of other countries. In their 
view, the earth is a plain occupied chiefly by China ; the 
sun and stars revolve around the earth ; the rain and 
the tides are caused by dragons ; the wind by tigers ; 
sickness by evil spirits. Their strength of character is 
manifest in their firm adherence to the opinions and prin- 
ciples Avhich they adopt, and those ideas into which they 
have been educated. The stability of their character is 
strikingly observable in their aversion to change ; they 
strictly adhere to the same principles which their forefa- 
thers taught thousands of years ago. 

Novemher 19th. — The money in China is in taels (one 
tael is equal in value to one dollar and thirty- three cents 
of American coin) ; they also have bank-bills of their own 
make, and there are in circulation a great many Mexican 
and American trade-dollars, which go at their par value, 
but American gold is at a discount. 

In drawing money from the banks, both in Japan and 
China, application is first made to the president or cashier 
of the institution, who are English ; they give an order 
upon the natives who are in attendance, called comjpra- 
(lores., in a separate room, who handle and pay over the 
cash. Instead of their making figures and accounts upon 
paper, they have a small flat box in which there are some 
four or five rows of knobs strung on cords of wire, with 
which they can work out the most intricate sum with 



SHANGHAI TO HONG-KONG, 713 

» 
accuracy; and even in their stoi'es and places of business 

the accounts are reckoned by the same method in the 

shortest possible space of time. 

Shanghai is a walled city, three miles in circuit, 
through which six gates open to the wide plain upon 
which it is situated, fronting on the river Woosung. The 
banks of the river are covered with dwellings, temples, 
shops, etc., among which is to be seen the Queen of 
Heaven, a conspicuous object. 

The river, stretching along the front of the city, is 
literally filled with junks, some gliding down the stream, 
others sailing up ; some moving by oars, and others lying 
at anchor. Shanghai is one of the first ports opened by 
the treaty of 1842, and previous to that time was little 
visited by foreigners, but has become the chief foreign 
commercial city of the empire; by this change. Canton 
has fallen off from her former greatness, both for the ship- 
ment of teas and other commodities. Shanghai was capt- 
ured by the Taeping rebels in 1853, and held for two 
years, when they retreated from this part of China ; and 
while the rebels were making bloody havoc in other parts 
of the empire there was a large influx of people to this 
city for protection and residence, which is one of the 
causes of its more rapid growth. 

November 20t]i, — This evening w^e spent at the resi- 
dence of Mr. Coryell, formerly of New York. Mr. and 
Mrs. Coryell, with compliments, sent a carriage for us, 
and we were cordially received by them. At ten o'clock 
dinner was served ; after partaking of the hospitalities of 
the occasion, we returned to the hotel about midnight. 

6 



74 AROUI^D TEE WORLD. 

November '21st, — Sabbath. This forenoon, in going to 
church, we met two companies of sailors from off a British 
man-of-war, under the command of their respective officers, 
neatly clad, accompanied by a band playing sacred music 
upon the fife and drum, marching to the English church. 
On the one side the officers and soldiers were seated, and 
on the other the congregation. If this were done in the 
case of American war- vessels, as a rule, it would keep the 
sailors and soldiers from the numerous dens of vice and 
dissipation. 

November 226?. — To-day we devote principally to 
shopping, which is really amusing. Almost every dwell- 
ing has a shop on the first floor, with open front, where 
all kinds of toys of native manufacture may be pur- 
chased ; the inmates sit flat upon the floor, making up 
such articles as they offer for sale. 

November 2M. — To-day we called upon Mr. Seward, 
the American consul, but did not see him. He has been 
stationed at this post for several years, and the people 
spoke very highly of him. He was confined to his resi- 
dence by sickness. Mr. and Mrs. Coryell dined with us 
this afternoon at the Central Hotel. 

November 24:th. — We had purposed to visit Peking 
before leaving Shanghai for the south, but were advised 
not to undertake the journe}^ as it was late in the season, 
and we might be frozen in. We regretted not being able 
to reach the capital, but it is just as well to see a few 
Chinese cities as many, for they all bear a strong resem- 
blance to each other. Before reaching Shanghai we had 
thought seriously of going up the Yang-tse-kiang Eiver ; 



SHANGHAI TO HONG-KONG. 75 

we found splendid American-built steamers witli good ac- 
commodations, making regular trips, but, having been so 
mucb on water, upon previous tours, we thought that it 
would be more desirable to devote the time upon the land. 
November ^^tli. — To-day Mr. Coryell invited us to 
take a sail with him in his steam-yacht. Our company 
consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Coryell, Mr. and Mrs. Runnels, 
and Mrs. Winants and myself We left the dock in front 
of our hotel about ten o'clock in the forenoon. As we 
steam up the river we pass by numerous junks, some at 
anchor, others sailing both up and down the river. After 
having ascended the river for several miles, we enter one 
of the canals and go back into the country. At length 
we land in a small Chinese village, literally filled with 
women and children. We did not see many men ; 
they were probably at work in the fields. Our ladies 
attracted their attention ; the women took hold of and 
examined their clothing as if they were the first people 
of the kind that they had ever seen. They plucked off 
some bunches of wild-flowers and presented them to us, 
for which we gave in return some coins. Here stands 
one of the oldest, if not the largest, Chinese pagodas in 
the empire. This pagoda, like all others in China, is oc- 
tagonal in shape, seven stories high. We ascended flights 
of circular steps to the upper story, whence we obtained 
a splendid view of the surrounding country, dotted with 
towns and hamlets as far as the eye could extend. The 
country is as level as the sea, with canals running in 
every direction. We had our lunch served on board the 
yacht, and arrived in Shanghai late in the afternoon. 



76 AROUND THE WORLD. 

November 2Qfth, — This morning early we gather up 
movables, and take passage on board the French steam- 
ship Hoogly, for Hong-Kong; distance eight hundred 
and seventy miles, fare fifty -four taels apiece, equal to 
seventy-two dollars of American coin, being the highest 
fare for the distance that I have ever paid in any part of 
the world. The distance is about the same as between 
New York and Savannah, which is only twenty dollars in 
gold. We have in company several passengers, mostly 
gentlemen of business. 

November '21th. — On the Pacific Ocean, weather good, 
wind light from northwest and fair ; ship under full sail, 
sea smooth, course west- southwest. Thermometer 65°. 
Latitude 27° 30' north, longitude 119° 28' east. Ship ran, 
from yesterday up to 12 m., three hundred and twenty-four 
miles. By carrying the French mail, they drive the ship 
to her fullest capacity in order to make quick time. We 
cross hundreds of junks at sea, out of sight of the land, 
taking fish with nets ; these nets are from one to one 
hundred and fifty fathoms in length, and about ten feet 
in width, with small sinkers made of lead on one side of 
the net to sink it below the water's surface, and corks 
on the upper side to keep it on the surface. When it 
is thrown from the boat on a circular line, another 
boat takes hold of the far end, and so the net is drawn 
through the sea till the boats come together; then the 
net is hauled into the boats with the fishes. These fish- 
ing-junks are excellent sea-going craft, and remain at sea 
for several months ; they contain entire families, consist- 
ing of men, women, and children. • 



SHANGHAI TO HONG-KONG. 77 

November '2Sth. — On tlie Pacific Ocean, wind light 
from nortliwest ; weather charming. Thermometer G8°. 
Sea smooth, course west-southwest ; ship under full sail. 
Latitude 23° 30' north, longitude 11§° 46' east. Made 
two hundred and ninety-five miles up to 12 m. 

November ''l^tli. — This forenoon, at ten o'clock, we 
arrive in the port of Hong-Kong, having been three days 
on our passage from Shanghai. The ship drops anchor 
off in the stream. In landing we are surrounded by 
small boats, called sampans. In the midst of great 
bustle and confusion we succeed in getting our luggage 
into one of the boats, and soon find ourselves landed 
upon the bund, and make our way to the Hong-Kong 
Hotel ; board two dollars and a half per day each. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



HONG-KONG. 



November SOth. — Hong-Kong is an island adjacent to 
the mainland, containing a population of one hundred 
and twenty thousand, and very mountainous ; there is 
scarcely a level acre upon the whole island. There is a 
little spot about a mile from the city, called the Happy 
Valley, which has been appropriated for a race-course ; 
above these sporting-grounds on the side of the hills, 
upon rising ground, are several cemeteries for the Eng- 
lish and Roman Catholics. The island is made up of 
lofty peaks, one of which, Victoria Peak, overhangs the 
town, and from whose summit one could almost throw a 
stone into the streets. It looms up eighteen hundred and 
thirty feet above the city. The view from the peak 
affords a sight of the entire city and a great part of the 
island. The peak is ascended in sedan-chairs, each chair 
carried by four coolies, and it requires an hour to reach its 
summit. The city is built along and in front of the har- 
bor, in terraces rising one above another, until the upper 
tier is reached, some three or four hundred feet in height. 
Many of the dwellings are palaces, and the public build- 
ings would do honor to any city. The governor's resi- 
dence, which stands back upon one of the upper streets 



HONG-KONG. ^9 

overlooking the city, is a fine mansion. The City Hall 
is another fine structure. 

Hong-Kong is one of the free ports of China, and is 
principally settled by the English. It is divided into 
two parts, the natives occupying one section and the 
English the other. Victoria is the English name of the 
town, although abroad it is commonly called Hong-Kong. 
It is one of the chief foreign cities on the China coast^ 
and is visited by more ships than any other. It is said 
to be a sort of posting station for the whole Eastern 
world. Ships of all nationalities are lying in port, wait- 
ing for orders from their owners, while others are dis- 
charging and taking in their cargoes. It being an Eng- 
lish colony, shipmasters feel more safe than they did a 
few years ago, when for any trifling offense the natives, 
becoming displeased, would scuttle or burn the ships, 
and often murder the crews. 

December 1st. — To-day we made a call upon Mr. 
Baily, the American consul, who courteously received us 
and gave much information as to the manners and cus- 
toms of the people, and who kindly offered his services 
to do anything that would best facilitate our move- 
ments. 

We visited the Colonial Prison, where some four or 
five hundred criminals of various nationalities are con- 
fined. I have never seen a penitentiary more neatly 
kept, and seemingly under better management. Among 
the prisoners were several Chinese women, who had 
been convicted of child-stealing, which is a very common 
crime in China. These female convicts are compelled to 



80 AROUND THE WORLD. 

stand erect upon their feet, and toe a straight line, for 
several hours each day. The male convicts are punished 
according to the different grades of crime : those con- 
fined for stealing are compelled to pick up a cannon-ball 
V^eighing twenty-four pounds, carry it for some three or 
four paces, then lay it dov^n for the space of one minute, 
and continue the performance for three hours each day ; 
others go in couples with the end of a bamboo-stick rest- 
ing on each one's shoulder, from the centre of which is 
suspended a stone of eighty pounds' weight ; others are 
compelled to turn a mill by hand, which has to make a 
certain number of revolutions before they can have 
their meals. We saw some who had been incarcerated 
for non-payment of debt, for which the complainants 
had to pay f^ye cents per day for the prisoner's main- 
tenance. For some offenses they are scourged with 
twenty-five lashes upon their bare backs, while those 
convicted of murder have their heads cut off. The super- 
intendent of the prison invited us to call on the follow- 
ing day to witness the scourging of some prisoners, and 
the execution of those who had incurred the penalty 
of death. 

Mr. Baily, the American consul, through Captain 
Low, one of our fellow-passengers from Shanghai, invited 
us to take a sail around the island. We accepted the 
invitation ; but, when the time had arrived to leave the 
dock, Mr. Baily sent word that he could- not go, on ac- 
count of some unexpected business that required his 
attention. Captain Low took command of the little 
steam-yacht. We first visited the navy-yards and the 



EON-G-KONQ. g] 

dry-docks, and some of the public institutions upon the 
neighboring islands ; then we proceeded to view the 
spot where the steamship Alaska was, by the typhoon 
of 1874, picked up and blown high and dry upon the 
shore, where she lay for nearly two months. We had 
in our company a very interesting party of ladies and 
gentlemen, all highly enjoying the excursion. 



CHAPTER IX. 

'CANTON AND ITS SIGHTS. 

December ^d. — ^This morning at eight o'clock we take 
passage on board tlie side-wheel steamer White Cloud, 
of American build, for Canton, distance ninety miles ; 
fare for the round trip, up and down, eleven dollars. 
Our course for forty-five miles — half of our voyage — lay 
among sea-islands, giving us only occasional glimpses of" 
the mainland. We then enter the deep river, the banks 
of which are lined with forts. These works, before the 
Opium War, were regarded by the Chinese authorities 
as a reliable defense. The English, having captured 
them, stipulated that they should not again be garri- 
soned ; they are now falling into ruin. Therefore Can- 
ton, the southern capital of China, is absolutely defense- 
less, with a British naval and military force at its very 
door. Whampoa is some fifteen miles down the river, 
below Canton, where large ships are moored to take in 
heavy cargoes of merchandise. The river-banks, above 
Whampoa, present scenes of tropical luxuriance and 
beauty. The valley expands, as far as the eye can reach, 
and is covered with sugar-plantations, banana and orange 
groves, and occasionally we pass by a tea-plantation, and 
on some of the higher ground near the city may be seen 
pagodas. 



CANTON AND ITS SIGHTS. 83 

At three o'clock in the afternoon we arrived in the 
city of Canton, and, by the time our steamer's anchor 
had touched the bottom, we were surrounded by swarms 
of small boats called sampans ; they were covered over 
with bamboo-tops, which are adapted to keep off both 
sun and rain. They were all manned by women, one of 
whom at once caught up my baggage and ran off with 
it. The crowd being so great, and the confusion per- 
plexing, I thought at the moment that I should lose my 
property. I ran after the woman, crossing over boat 
after boat, until she made a halt, when I asked her what 
she intended to do with my satchel. She answered in 
broken English that I should go with her, as she kept 
the hotel. Finally, I said that, if she would wait till 
I hunted up the ladies who had been lost in the crowd, 
we would take passage in her boat. She was barefooted 
and bareheaded, but what little clothing she had on was 
clean, her hair well dressed and trimmed with orna- 
ments, and she possessed a bright and cheerful coun- 
tenance, with an easy address. After our company of 
four were seated in her little craft, which was neat and 
clean, she bent herself to the oars, and in a few moments 
we were landed alongside of the dock. After ascending 
a half-dozen or more stone steps we found ourselves in 
the hotel, fronting on the river. The house was fear- 
fully ancient, at least a thousand years old ; the rooms 
were more like barns than bedchambers. We soon suc- 
ceeded in getting the choicest apartments in the house. 
at two dollars and a quarter per day. I asked the pro- 
prietor, who could speak English enough to be under- 



84 AROUND THE WORLD. 

stood, if tlie woman who brought us from the steamer 
kept the hotel ; he laughingly replied that this was the 
International Hotel, and that the woman who brought 
us from the steamer was his boat-woman. When the 
gong sounded for tiffin, we found the table much better 
supplied than we expected, and the entertainment as 
good as, if not better than, we had received in more 
modern hotels. 

The city of Canton is beautifully situated on the 
banks of the Pearl Eiver, on low and flat land, but in 
the distance high hills are visible. The city proper is 
inclosed by walls of from six to seven miles in circum- 
ference, having a partition wall, running east and west, 
which divides it into two unequal parts. The entii'e 
circuit, including the suburbs, is over ten miles. The 
population, on land and water, is reported to be about 
one million. Of this number about one-third are sup- 
posed to reside in boats upon the water. The multitude 
of boats and junks which throng the river makes it dif- 
cult to navigate. There are at least as many houses 
outside the walls as within them. It is said that the 
city is rapidly increasing. The houses stretch along on 
both sides of the river, a distance of from three to four 
miles, and the banks are everywhere nearly concealed 
by the boats, which are of all sizes. 

We learn from the most reliable authority that the 
city of Canton was settled about two centuries before 
Christ, but traders were located here even prior to that 
time. It grew in importance as the country became 
better settled, and in the seventh century a regular mar- 



CANTON AND ITS SIGHTS. g5 

ket was opened and a collector of customs appointed. 
When the Mantchoos invaded and overran the countr}', 
this city was finally captured by treachery, and one hun- 
dred thousand men were killed at its sack, and the whole 
number who lost their lives at the final assault and dur- 
ing the siege was over half a million. Since then Canton 
has been rebuilt, and so increased in prosperity that it 
is now regarded as the second city in the empire for 
numbers, and next to Peking for wealth. 

The foundations of the city walls are of sandstone, 
and their upper part brick ; they are about twenty feet 
thick, and range from twenty-five to forty feet high, hav- 
ing an esplanade on the one side, and pathways leading 
to the ramparts on the other. 

The houses are built very near the wall, on both 
sides of it, so that one hardly sees it when walking 
around the city, except on the north. There are twelve 
outer gates, four in the partition walls, and water-gates 
through which boats pass, from east to west, across the 
new part of the city. A ditch, or moat, once encom- 
passed the city walls, said to have been filled with water, 
but which is now dry. The canals within the city's in- 
closure are filled with the tide-water from the river. 
The inhabitants are supplied with water for washing 
from these canals and the river, and drinking-water is 
plentifully furnished from many springs and wells. The 
gates of the city are all shut at night, and a guard is 
constantly stationed at them to preserve order. Some 
of the principal gates are named thus : Great Peace Gate, 
Eternal Pest Gate, Bamboo Gate, Wicket Gate, etc. 



35 AROUND TEE WORLD . 

The appearance of the city, wlieii viewed from the 
hills on the north, is uninviting, compared with Western 
cities, being an expanse of reddish roofs relieved by a 
few large trees, and interspersed with numerous high 
red poles used for flag-staffs. A number of pagodas 
shoot up within the walls, looming to the height of from 
five to seven stories. We ascended one of the highest. 
From this great elevation the river is a prominent feat- 
ure in the landscape, covered with a great diversity of 
boats of different colors and sizes, some stationary, others 
moving, and all resounding with the mingled hum of 
laborers, sailors, children, and boatmen, pursuing their 
several sports and occupations. A fort called Dutch 
Folly, or Sea Pearl by the natives, is situated on a little 
island in the river, covered with trees and buildins^s. 
Still farther can be seen, on the southern side of the 
river, the island of Hainan, and beyond green fields, cov- 
ered with rich vegetation, while the grand old river, 
winding its way to the ocean, looks like a silver thread 
at the feet of the beholder. The hills to the north of 
the city rise twelve hundred feet above the river, and 
for several miles are covered with graves and tombs; 
little or no vegetation can be seen upon them from our 
point of observation. Three or four forts are built on 
eligible spots nearest the northern walls. 

The streets are too narrow to be seen from our ele- 
vated position ; they are from seven to ten feet in width, 
twist about in every conceivable way, and number more 
than six hundred. The names of some of the streets are 
characteristic, as Martial Street, Dragon Street, Pearl 



CANTON AND ITS SIGHTS. g^ 

Street, Golden-Flower Street, New Green-Pea Street, 
Physic Street, Spectacle Street, etc. They are kej)t tol- 
erably clean, considering the number of pedestrians who 
fill them to their fullest capacity. 

The houses along the river-front are built upon piles 
driven into the ground, and it is said that when the 
waters rise, as in the time of freshets, that part of the 
city adjacent to the river is inundated. 

We were carried through the city in sedan-chairs, 
each one of our party in a separate chair, which is sus- 
pended between long poles and carried by two coolies, 
one of them in front and the other behind the sedan. 
We were accompanied by an experienced guide, who 
was educated in the different languages expressly to 
enable him to perform his duties intelligently while con- 
ducting strangers about the city. We visited all the 
principal places in this mysterious city, through lanes 
and dark places, without being in any wise molested. 
By the shopkeepers, from whom we purchased some 
small articles, we were cordially treated, and yet the 
natives eyed us as if we were the first strangers they 
had seen. 

We saw sights peculiar and foreign to all the out- 
side world. We could not venture alone into the streets, 
one hundred yards from our palace hotel, for fear of be- 
ing lost. Some of the streets are perfect bazaars, the 
shops on either side being filled with costly articles well 
arranged for effect ; rich silks, ivory, jewelry, and fancy- 
work of all kinds ; and over every door may be seen an 
image of Joss, or some one of their gods. All the prin- 



gg AROUND THE WORLD. 

cipal streets are hung witli gay banners, suspended from 
the tops of the houses and from the fronts of the shops, 
forming a complete canopy, shutting out the light of the 
sun. The signs, which are gaudy, stand upright, and 
with their bright colors give a pretty aspect to both the 
streets and buildings. The noisy tide of human beings 
constantly surging hither and thither through these nar- 
row avenues, on foot and in sedan-chairs, with coolies 
carrying burdens of all kinds, blockaded the streets at 
intervals, and brought us to a stand; but, at length, we 
managed by hard squeezing to force our way through 
the busy and chattering crowd. 

The Buddhist temple called Hai-chwang, opposite 
the foreign factories, and commonly known as the Honan 
Joss-house, is one of the largest in Canton. Its grounds 
cover about seven acres, surrounded by a high wall, and 
divided into courts, gardens, and burial-ground, where 
are deposited the ashes of the priests, whose bodies are 
first burned. The architectural designs of the buildings 
present nothing worthy of note, consisting mostly of 
cloisters or apartments surrounding a court ; within is 
a temple or pavilion. The buildings are overshadowed 
by large trees, the resort of thousands of birds. The 
outer gateway opens upon the street on the river-front, 
and leads up a gravel-walk to a high portico guarded by 
two huge figures, through which we enter a small in- 
closure, separated from the larger one by another spa- 
cious porch, in which are four large statues. From here 
we are conducted to the main temple, a low building 
about one hundred feet square, surrounded by pillars ; 



CANTON ANT) ITS SIGHTS. 



89 



it contains three gilded images in a sitting posture, called 
San, Pan, and Full, or the past, present, and future 
Buddha, each of them being about twenty feet liigli, 
surrounded by numerous altars and smaller images. 
Daily prayers are chanted before them by a krge body 




EXTEANCE TO THE TEMPLE OF HOXAN. 



of people and priests, all dressed in yellow robes, who 
go through the performance witli great pomp and regu- 
larity. Beyond this is a small building, which contains 
a marble repository bearing somewhat the resemblance 
of a pagoda, under which, rumor says, is preserved one 

r 



90 AROUND THE WORLD. 

of the toe-nails of Buddha, the relic being deeply ven- 
erated by the devotees. This court contains numerous 
shrines and offices for the accommodation of the priests, 
among which are the printing-office and library, both of 
them respectable for size. 

There are one hundred and seventy-five priests con- 
nected with this establishment, only a portion of whom 
can read and write. They eat no flesh of any kind, red 
rice being their principal food. In one part of the tem- 
ple-grounds there is a spot appropriated to the reception 
of swine, which are fed so long as they live. 

Besides the Honan Temple, there are two others in 
the old city belonging to Buddha. One of them, called 
Kwang-hian, or Temple of the Glorious Filial Duty, con- 
tains two hundred priests, who are supported from the 
lands belonging to the establishment, which are situated 
outside of the city, containing thirty-five hundred acres. 
The number of priests in Canton is estimated to be over 
two thousand, nine-tenths of whom are Buddhists. 

The Ching-hwang-mian is conceded to be one of the 
most important religious institutions in Canton, where 
both rulers and people offer their devotions for the wel- 
fare of the city. The superintendent of this institution, 
I am informed, pays four thousand dollars for the privi- 
lege of selling candles, incense, etc., to the worshipers. 
The areas in front of most of the temples are occupied 
by hucksters, beggars, and idlers. 

The Chinese generally travel by water. In the con- 
struction and management of their river-craft they are 
expert and not excelled. Most of the boats in and about 



CANTON AND ITS SIGHTS. 9X 

Canton are intended to be the residences of those who 
navigate them. Only a part of the large fleet of boats 
seen on the Pearl River at Canton are intended for trans- 
portation, a great number being designed for fixed resi- 
dences, and perhaps one-half of them are moored stem- 
and-stern in rows. They are not obliged to remain where 
they station themselves, but both the boats and their 
inmates are under the supervision of a water-police, who 
register them and point out the position they may occupy. 
Those that are employed in carrying merchandise, such 
as tea, salt, flour, etc., are grouped together and more 
easily found. | It is reported that nearly fifty thousand 
boats are registered as belonging to the city of Canton. 
It would seem incredible for such a large number to 
remain moored in the river at the same time, but doubt- 
less many of them are at sea. No one who has been at 
Canton can forget the bustling, noisy, and animating 
sight upon the river, nor fail to have noticed the good- 
humored carefulness with which boats of every size pass 
€ach other without collision. 

It is difficult to describe the many kinds of vessels 
found on the Chinese waters. They are furnished with 
stern-sculls, which move upon a pivot, and are easily 
propelled amid the crowd. Larger boats are furnished 
with two or three sculls, which, when not in use, are 
hauled in upon the side of the vessel. They are also 
provided with oars, w^hich are fastened by withes and 
run in a band attached to a large wooden pin. The 
masts in some of the large cargo-boats have two spars, 
resting on the gunw^ales and meeting above, and so ar- 



92 AROUND THE WORLD. 

ranged as to be hoisted at pleasure ; in those boats de- 
signed for residences no provision is made for masts, the 
oars and sculls being sufficient to do the work required. 
Fishing-boats, lighters, and sea-going vessels, have (me 
or more permanent masts. In these larger boats a wale 
or framework projects from the side, on which the boat- 
men walk when poling the. vessel. The sails are made 
of common matting, sewed into a single sheet, and pro- 




TRADING-JUNK. 



vided with yards at the top and bottom, and bamboo 
ribs on the face, which serve to retain the loops that run 
on the masts, and enable the boatmen to haul them close 
on the wind. A driver is sometimes placed on the taff- 
rail, and a small foresail near the bow. No Chinese boat 
has a bowsprit. 

The internal arrangement of the boat-dwellings is 
simple, and they are said to be kept cleaner than their 
houses. The better class are from sixty to eighty feet 



CANTON AND ITS SIGHTS. , 93 

long, and fifteen to eighteen feet in widtli, divided into 
three rooms comprising a kitchen, a place to do their 
work, and a place to sleep. The cooking and washing 
are performed on the high framework astern, which is 
admirably contrived for such purposes, having furnaces 
and other conveniences. By means of awnings and 
framework the top of the boat also subserves many ob- 
jects of work or pleasure. The windows are closed with 
shutters and curtains, and the wood-work is fancifully 
carved and painted. 

A large number of Canton boats are about twenty- 
five feet long, containing only one room, and are covered 
with movable mats so contrived as to inclose the whole 
vessel ; they are usually rowed or sculled by women, 
who thus earn a livelihood, while their husbands work- 
in the city by the day. In these boats whole familiers 
are reared, live, and die. The room which serves for 
passengers by day is a bedroom by night ; a kitchen at 
one time, a wash-room at another, and a nursery always. 
The inside of the boats is movable, and when cleaning 
is to be done the boat is floated on shore, emptied to the 
skin, turned bottom up and scrubbed, and the whole 
put to rights in a comparatively short time, and then 
floated off. 

The lighters are called chop-boats ; some of these 
occasionally serve for passenger-boats. Those in which 
tea, salt, and miscellaneous cargoes are transported, are 
from eighty to ninety feet long, and will carry from two 
to three hundred tons. The passage-boats are similar 
in construction to the lighters, with the exception of a 



94 . AROUND TEE WORLD. 

iimall cabin for women in tlie bow. The passengers 
bring their own bedding, and select a place at night in 
the main room, where as many sleep as can find places^ 
others accommodating themselves on deck. Many of 
these boats arrive and depart from Canton daily, so 
loaded down with passengers that they ma}^ be com- 
pared to floating ant-hills, or swarms of bees. 

The revenue - officers employ a narrow, sharp-built 
boat, propelled by forty or fifty rowers, at the rate of 
twelve to thirteen miles an hour. They are armed with 
swivels, spears, and pikes ; they are lined on the sides 
with an array of rattan shields, painted to represent 
tigers' heads. The smugglers about Canton, who are 
numerous, have similar-made boats. They don't carry 
the national flag, l)ut each officer hoists the duplicate of 
the banner belonging to his own office. Junks carry a 
great variety of flags, but no private vessel is allowed to 
hoist the imperial yellow. 

The dwellers on the water are not debarred from liv- 
iag on shore. A boat can be built cheaper than a brick 
house, and is equally comfortable; it pays no ground- 
rent, is kept clean easier, and is not so liable to fire or 
depredations from thieves. Most of the boats are con- 
structed of fir or pine wood, and cost from thirty dollars 
up to three or four thousand, and much higher prices are 
paid for sea-boats. Few of them are painted ; the wood 
is bright, covered with varnish or oil, which gives them 
rather a pretty appearance ; the seams are calked with 
bamboo or rattan shavings mixed with oil, and coated 
with cement. Most of the sailing-craft employed on the 



CANTON AND ITS SIGHTS. 95 

river are flat-bottomed, with sharp bows and broad steams. 
The stern is open, and the rudder can be hoisted uj) and 
through it in shallow water. The anchors ai'e of wood, 
with iron-bound flukes, and held by cables made of 
bamboo. 

The junks are larger than the river-craft ; they have 
three masts, stepped in a framework, supported by stays, 
but having no yards or shrouds. The original model of 
a junk is said to be a huge sea-monster ; the teeth at the 
cut- water and top of the stem define its mouth, while the 
long boards on each side of the bow form the likeness 
of the head, with eyes painted on them; the masts and 
sails represent the fins, and the high stern the tail. The 
cabins look more like niches in a sepulchre than for the 
accommodation of passengers. The hold has no decks, 
and is divided into water-tight compartments, a contriv- 
ance that has its advantao;es when the vessel strikes a 
rock. The channel-wale is a large beam, and in some 
junks it projects so much as to give the sides a bulging 
appearance. The quarter-galleries and framework above 
the stern are high, and look dangerous to the vessel in 
heavy weather. Many of the new vessels now being- 
built are fitted and rigged with sails of canvas instead of 
matting. The native commerce in junks, both up and 
down the coast, is extensive ; and there has been a con- 
siderable trade with Japan to the north, and as far south 
as Hindostan, with which countries it is no^v somewhat 
decreasing, for the Chinese merchants are learning that 
foreign vessels are both safer and cheaper. 

There have been some fearful scenes amono- this float- 



96 AROUXD THE WORLD. 

ing population by tlie typhoons wliicli sweep over the 
China seas with great force, and which are so destructive 
to shipping, but seldom reach as far inland as Canton. 
Not long ago an English ship fell in with the cargo and 
crew of a wrecked jnnk, and saved one hundred and 
ninety-eight persons out of sixteen hundred. It is said 
that, a few moments before the typhoon comes on, at in- 
tervals a slio^ht noise is heard whirling: around and then 
stopping, sometimes with great force, and again slow ; 
then fiery clouds collect in the heavens in thick masses ; 
the thunder sounds deep and heavy, and rainbows ap- 
pear, forming an unbroken curve with its ends dipped 
into the sea; the sea sends back a bellowing sound, and 
boils with angry surges ; the loose rocks upon the shore 
dash asrainst each other. When the heig-ht and force of 
the tempest are loose, rain descends, carrying away roofs 
of houses, and trees are torn up by the roots ; horses and 
cattle are blown from their feet, and the ships and boats 
upon the sea are either sw^amped or blown on dry land, 
while the inhabitants flee for their lives. Most of the 
vessels lost upon the coasts of China and Japan are by 
typhoons. The Chinese dread these gales so much that 
they have erected a special temple to the typhoon- 
mother, a goddess, wdiom they supplicate for protection 
against them. 

Among the principal branches of Chinese industry 
are the growth and preparation of tea, which plant has 
been most celebrated abroad. The gradual introduction 
and use of this beverao-e amonsr the nations of the West- 
ern world, and the important consequences of bringing 



CANTON AND fTS SIOHTS. 97 

the nationalities of the civilized world into more intimate 
intercourse, and opening to tlie Chinese the blessings of 
Christian civilization through this trade, are among the 
most interesting results that have ever flov^ed from com- 
merce. The gradual demand for tea encouraged the 
Chinese to a greater production, and to the taking of 
foreign articles partly in exchange for it, w^hile tlie 
governments of the West have derived much advantage 
from the duties. The tea-plant is not so much cultivated 
about Canton as in the north of China ; only a few fields 
along the Pearl Kiver both below and above Canton are 
seen. Its infusion forms a common beverage of every 
household for nearly two-thirds of the human race. 

A knowledge of the tea-plant among the Chinese can 
be traced back to the third century, and its use was in- 
troduced into Europe in the eighth century. The tea- 
plant is from three to six feet high, and presents a dense 
mass of foliage on an infinite number of small twigs, a 
result of the practice of being cut down. Where it is 
found wild in the jungles it reaches the height of thirty 
feet or more. The leaf is of a dark-green color, of an ob- 
long oval shape, and the flowers are white ; the seeds are 
like hazel-nuts in size and color, three of them being in- 
closed in a hard husk, and contain oil ; the oil is said to 
be acrid and bitter, and is used for various purposes. The 
leaves are picked from the plant when three years old, 
but it does not attain full size before six or seven years, 
and thrives, according to circumstances, and with care, 
from fifteen to twenty years, being gradually killed by 
constantly depriving it of its foliage. By continual 



98 AROUND THE WORLD, 

pruning, tlie twigs increase, and the quantity of leaves 
develops tlie brandies, so tliat the large, healthy shrubs 
resemble a collection rather than a sino-le bush. The 
annual product of a single plant of large size is said to 
be from six to eight ounces, and that a thousand square 
yards of land contain between three and four hundred 
plants. 

Three crops of leaves are gathered annually. The 
first picking is about the middle of April, or whenever 
the tender leaf-buds begin to open, and while the leaves 
are still covered with a whitish down; the flowers^ 
though not very numerous, j)roduce the finest tea. The 
second gathering is about the first of May, when the 
shrubs are covered with full-sized leaves. Chinese writ- 
ers say that the weather has great influence upon the 
condition of the leaves, and that an excess or a want of 
rain mildews or withers them, so as materially to affect 
the quality and quantity of the crop. When the proper 
time has arrived, a large number of hands are engaged 
to gather the leaves rapidly, giving employment to men, 
women, and children. The leaves are collected by hand- 
fuls, by stripping them off the branches as rapidly as 
possible, and throwing them into baskets slung around 
the neck, in which they are taken to the storehouses. 
Each person can on an average pick thirteen pounds of 
leaves in a day, for which the picker receives about six 
cents. The third crop is collected about the middle of 
July, and there is also a fourth gleaning in the latter 
part of August. The first two crops of leaves make the 
best tea, and the last two gatherings afford only inferior 



CANTON AND ITS SIGHTS. 99 

kinds, seldom imported and used for home consump- 
tion. The quality of the different kinds of tea depends 
almost as much upon the mode of curing as upon the 
nature of the soil, or age of the leaf; some sorts are 
quite changed in their particular flavor by the curing 
and mixing processes they undergo. After the leaves 
are gathered and housed, they are carefully assorted and 
the yellow and old ones picked out ; then they are thinly 
spread upon bamboo trays and placed upon frames in 
the wind, where they remain until the leaves begin to 
soften ; then they are gently rolled and rubbed until red 
spots begin to appear, when they are tested by |)ouring 
hot water upon them to see if the edge of the leaf turns 
yellowish. When the leaves have been rolled, they are 
ready for firing. The iron pan having been previously 
heated, the workman takes a handful of leaves and 
sprinkles them upon it, and waits until each leaf po23S, 
when he brushes them off before they are charred. The 
pans sit in iron boilers upon mason- work in an inclined 
position, and at a convenient height in rows, and are 
heated by means of a flue passing lengthwise under the 
Avhole. The heat soon forces the oil out of the leaves, 
when they crack and soften, and after four or five min- 
utes are taken out into trays for rolling. This operation 
is performed upon tables made of split bamboos laid 
close together, with their round sides up. The work- 
men take handfuls of the hot leaves and roll and knead 
them upon the table, in order to drive out the oily green, 
which falls through the bamboo sticks upon the floor. 
After the leaves are thus properly rolled, they are 



100 AROUND THE WORLD. 

shaken out loosely upon trays and exposed to the air to 
complete the drying ; the object is to dry them in the 
gentlest manner, that they may not lose their brittleness, 
nor become crisp in the sun. After undergoing this pro- 
cess of air-diying, they are again thrown in large quan- 
tities into the pans, which are heated to a less degree 
than before, and there stirred, in order that all may be 
equally dried and none be scorched. 

In some parts of China the process here described 
varies. After the leaves have been put into the firing- 
pan to be subjected to the heat, then rolled upon the 
table and exposed to the sun, instead of being returned 
to the pans they are scattered upon a fine sieve and 
placed over the same fire, the iron pan having been taken 
out. This fire is of charcoal, covered with ashes to pre- 
vent smoking the leaves, and while over it they are 
slowly turned until thoroughly dried; they are then 
removed to coarser sieves, and the fine and coarse leaves 
in this way partially separated before packing. This 
mode of drying gives the leaves a greenish cast, varying 
in degree according to the length of time they are ex- 
posed to the sun and fire. The common sorts of black 
tea are left in the sun and air, after the first process of 
firing: and rolling:, a much lonsrer time — even for two or 
three days — until a partial decomposition of the leaves 
has begun from the effects of the heating and squeezing 
they have undergone ; they are, moreover, again thrown 
into the pans, and rolled and stirred about for a longer 
time when intended for exportation than when put up 
for domestic use. 



CANTON AND ITS SIGHTS. 



101 



The question lias often Leen discussed whether hlack 
and green teas are made from the same plant, and wlu^ther 
they can be made from each other. I am informed that 
both bhick and green are made of the same leaves, the 
difference in the color being ascribed to the niode of 
preparation; green tea is cured more rapidly over the 
tire than black. 

The opinion prevails that the nervous effects usually 
experienced after drinking green tea are owing to its 




TEA-HOUSE. 



being cured upon copper. I am informed that copj)er 
vessels are never used. In Japan I was in one or two 
of the largest tea-houses ; there the drying was done in 
iron vessels, and I did not see a copper one in use. The 
principal cause of the peculiar taste of green tea is as- 
cribed to the use of chemical substances to give it the 
desired color. 

A great part of the tea produced in China is brought 



102 AROUND THE WORLD. 

to Canton, more than a thousand miles from 'the place 
of its growth. The Chinese will, no doubt, maintain 
their supremacy in the tea-trade, notwithstanding the 
efforts to grow the plant in other countries. The native 
names given to the various sorts of tea are derived from 
the names of the districts or places in which it grows. 

December Zd. — Both in China and Japan men may 
be seen carrying through the streets portable kitchens, 
suspended from a pole about six feet long, which rests 
upon their shoulders. On one end is suspended a small 
stove, and on the other food ; they stop at intervals to 
deal out to the coolies hot tea and chow. It is also com- 
mon to see barbers traveling through the streets with a 
pot of hot water to shave the heads of the coolies, and 
to plat their cues ; but the men have smooth faces and 
no whiskers. 

December ^tli. — This morning at nine o'clock we take 
leave of the great Celestial city for Hong-Kong, distance 
ninety miles. In going down the river we see some fine 
tea and sugar plantations. The captain of our steamer 
on the King-Shan informed us that, on leaving port, they 
lock the second-class passengers below-decks, and keep 
a sentinel during the voyage pacing the forward deck, 
watching the gangway. In the main cabin, a number 
of swords and muskets hung upon the joiner- work, to 
be used in case the ship should be attacked by pirates, 
which is a common occurrence in the China seas. 

Only last week, a passenger-boat from up the coast, 
on her passage to Canton, was attacked by pirates, who 
killed part of the steamer's crew and plundered the ves- 



CAN! ON AND ITS SlGllTH. !();> 

sel. It is said that the China seas are infested with 
pirates. These piratical craft are strongly equi])ped 
with men having fire-arms, who stay and live at Sea 
until they have taken a prize, when the booty is landed 
upon one of the lonely islands, some of which are in- 
habited by cannibals. , Both in Japan and China, for the 
better protection of property and life, the merchant- ves- 
sels sail 'Jn fleets. At three o'clock in the afternoon we 
arrived in Hong-Kong, and put up at the Hong-Kong 
Hotel ; board two dollars and a half per day. 

December oth. — This being the Sabbath, we attend 
the Union Church, where all the Protestant denomina- 
tions assemble. The edifice was neat and tolerably well 
filled. 



CHAPTEE X. 



RELIGION OF THE CHn^ESE. 



I]^ order to a right understanding of Chinese char- 
acter and civilization, some knowledge of the system of 
idolatry which prevails in the empire, and of the relig- 
ious beliefs of the people, is absolutely necessary ; but 
the real religious belief and practices of a heathen peo- 
ple are difficult to describe intelligibly. Men naturally 
exercise much freedom of thought in such matters ; and, 
though it is comparatively easy to describe religious 
ceremonies and festivals, the real belief of a pagan peo- 
ple — that which constitutes their religion, their trust in 
danger and guide in doubt, their prompter to present 
action and hope for future reward — is not quickly un- 
derstood nor easily described. There has been much 
written upon the religion of the Chinese, and yet no one 
has very satisfactorily given the true nature of their be- 
lief, and the intent of their ritual. The reason is owing 
partly to the indefinite ideas of the people themselves 
upon the character of their ceremonies, and their inability 
to give a clear notion of them, and partly to the variety 
of observances found in different parts of the country, 
and the discordant opinions entertained by those belong- 
ing to the same sect, so that what is seen in one district 
is sometimes not known in the one adjacent. 



RE LI GT ON OF THE CHINESE. ] ()5 

There is a state religion in China of very ancient 
date, which has undergone few modifications in its feat- 
ures during the long succession of monarchs, and it still 
retains much of its primitive simplicity. Dr. Morrison 
observes that the state religion of the Chinese does not 
consist of doctrines which are to be taught, learned, and 
believed, but of rites and ceremonies ; it is entirely a 
bodily service, and its ritual is contained in the statistics 
and code of the empire. The objects of state worship 
are chiefly things, although persons are also included. 
Sacrifices are offered to many objects, viz. : the sun, or 
great light ; the moon, or night-light ; fire, because it 
gives both light and heat ; clouds, rain, wind, and thunder, 
seas and rivers, the goddess of the earth, and many other 
things. Those who assist the emperor in his ordinary 
worship, and perform the ceremonies, belong to the im- 
perial family. When he worships heaven, he wears robes 
of a blue color, in allusion to the sky ; and when he wor- 
ships earth, he puts on yellow, to represent clay. So 
likewise he wears red for the sun, and pale white for 
the moon. The princes, nobles, and imperial officers 
who assist the emperor, are clad in their usual court 
dresses, but neither priests nor women are admitted to 
witness or allowed to take part in the ceremonies. 

The hierophants in this worship of Nature, so lauded 
by some infidels, are required to prepare themselves for 
the occasion by fasting, ablutions, and change of gar- 
ments, and keep from touching the dead ; for sickness 
and death defile, and unfit the mind for holding com- 
munion with the gods. The sacrifices consist of calves. 



106 



AROU^^D THE WORLD. 



bullocks, slieep, pigs, and the offerings of silk, and many 
other things ; every one is willing to worship whatever 
can promise relief or afford assistance. 

The remarks of Confucius upon religious subjects 
were very brief He never taught the duty of man to 
any higher power than the head of the state or family, 




IMAGE OF CONFUCIUS. 



although he supposed himself commissioned by Heaven 
to restore the doctrine and usages of the ancient kings. 
He admitted tliat he did not understand much about 
the gods, that they were beyond and above the compre- 
hension of man, and that the obligations upon men were 
in doing their duty to relatives, and the society in which 



RELIGION OF THE CHINESE. ]07 

they moved, rather than in worsliiping spirits unknown. 
He said, "Not knowing even life, how can we know 
death ? " His system of materialism captivates his coun- 
trymen, for it allows great scope for the vagaries of every 
individual who thinks he understands and can apply it 
to explain whatever phenomena come in his way : heat 
and cold, light and darkness, fire and water, mind and 
matter, every agent, power, and substance, known and 
supposed, are endued with these principles, and their 
infinite reactions and varied consequences explained by 
them. His system is also entirely silent respecting the 
immortality of the soul, as well as future rewards and 
punishments. Virtue is rewarded and vice is punished 
in the individual, or in his posterity, on earth, but of a 
separate state of existence he and his disciples do not 
speak. 

In disposing of the existence of superior powers, the 
philosophers do not shut out all intelligent agencies, but 
have instituted a class of sages or pure-minded men, who 
have been raised up from time to time by Heaven, or 
some other power, as instructors and examples to nian- 
Mnd ; the office of these holy men, or saints, was to ex- 
pound the will of Heaven on earth: they did not so 
much speak their own thoughts as illustrate and settle 
the principles on which the world should be governed. 
Of all the saints in the calendar Confucius is the chief. 
With him are reckoned the early kings, as Yan and 
Shun ; but China has produced no one since that would 
equal him. The deceased emperors of the reigning 
dynasty are canonized as saints ; every one is willing to 



108 AROUND THE WORLD. 

worship whatever can give relief or afford the greatest 
assistance ; but all alike fail in satisfying the desire of 
pardon of sin, and answering the question, '' How shall a 
man be just with his God ? " for no one of their modes 
of worship reaches the heart, or convinces the soul of its 
accountability, or shows it the way to true happiness. 

There is another sect of rationalists founded by 
Lao-tse. He was born 604 b. c, thirty-four years before 
Confucius, and is believed to have had white hair and 
eyebrows at his birth. According to the account given 
by Pauthier, who has examined his history with some 
attention, his parents were poor, and, after reaching 
mature years, he was appointed librarian by the emperor, 
when he diligently applied himself to the study of 
ancient books, and became acquainted with all the rites 
and histories of former times. The teaching of Lao-tse 
recommends retirement and contemplation as the most 
effectual means of purifying the spiritual part of our 
nature. He says : All material visible forms are only 
emanations of reason; and reason formed all beings. 
All the visible parts of the universe, all beings compos- 
ing it, the heavens and the entire solar system, have been 
formed of the first elementary matter. Before the birth 
of heaven and earth, there existed only an immeasurable 
void space in the midst of darkness and silence. Reason 
alone, Lao-tse says, produced one, one produced two, two 
produced three, and three made all things. All beings 
repose on the feminine principle, and they embrace the 
male principle ; a kind of fecundating breath keeps up 
their harmony. He also teaches the emanation and return 



RELIGION OF THE CHINESE. ] 09 

of all good beings into tlie bosom of Reason, and tlieir 
eternal existence therein ; but, if not good, the miseries 
of successive births and their accompanying sori'ows 
await them. 

One of the most celebrated rationalistic writers is 
Chwang-toz, a disciple of Lao-tse, from whom his fol- 
lowers derive more of their opinions than their master 
himself. His writings have been repeatedly commented 
upon by members of the fraternity, and are referred to 
as authoritative. In ancient times small parties of them 
retired to secluded places to meditate upon virtue. 
When Confucius visited Lao-tse, he upbraided the sage 
for his ambition in collecting so many disciples and seek- 
ing after office, and added that such a course of conduct 
was more likely to nourish pride than cherish the love 
of virtue and wisdom. He said the wise man loves ob- 
scurity, and avoids ambition of office, persuaded that, at 
the end of life, a man can only leave behind such good 
maxims as he has practised and taught to others. 

Confucius understood his countrymen and his own 
duty much better than Lao-tse, in doing all he could, by 
precept and practice, to show the excellence of what he 
believed to be right and just. 

The priests of this sect are numerous ; they live in 
temples, cultivating the ground attached to the establish- 
ment. Some lead a wandering life, and procure a liveli- 
hood from the sale of charms and other small articles. 
They shave the sides of the head, and coil the rest of the 
hair in a tuft upon the crown, and are recognized by 
their slate-colored robes. They study astrology, and 



110 AROUND THE WORLD. 

profess to have dealings witli spirits ; and their books 
contain a great variety of stories of the sect, and of 
priests who have done wonderful acts by their help. 

Buddhism is the principal religion of China and of 
the whole of Eastern Asia. According to the best 
Oriental scholars, Siddhartha, the son of Suddhodana, 
king of a large territory on the confines of Oude and 
Nepaul, was born about the beginning of the sixth cen- 
tury before Christ, At the age of thirty he fled from his 
father's kingdom and became religious, diligently study- 
ing the law of the Brahmans. Finding this unsatisfactory, 
he secluded himself from the world, and for many years 
occupied himself in endeavoring to discover the cause of 
things. Having at length, as he thought, succeeded, he 
changed his name to Buddha, and devoted the rest of 
his life to preaching the new gospel, whereby the world 
was to be led to the knowledge of the truth. His con- 
verts were many and influential, several of the royal 
families becoming earnest and devoted to the new religion. 
Buddha died at the age of eighty years. 

Buddhism has assumed different forms in different 
countries. A distinction is made between southern 
Buddhism as it is found in Ceylon and that which prevails 
in the north of China. The religious books of northern 
Buddhism are in Sanskrit ; those of southern Buddhism 
are in Pali, a language of more recent origin. The north- 
ern Buddhists have also added books, and dialectics, not 
known elsewhere. 

In Thibet the system is connected with a religious 
hierarchy, exercising political power, at the head of which 



RELIGION OF THE ClIfNESE. ^|^ 

is the grand lamn, wlio is regarded as the iiicaiTiatioii of 
Buddha. When the grand lama dies, the pi'iests fix 
upon some infant into whose body the spirit of the de- 
ceased lama is supposed to have passed, and the infant 
becomes the next grand lama. But in China no such 
religious hierarchy has been tolerated, and Buddhism ex- 
ists without lamas. 

The distinctive characteristic of the Buddhist system 
is a belief in a benevolent deity, whose special object 
and care it is to save men from sin and its evil conse- 
quences ; and also in the doctrine of the transmigration 
of souls, and the efficacy of good works. In accordance 
with these doctrines. Buddhism consists of prayers to the 
numerous gods, for the anticipated wants of the saints in 
Hades, and also for deceased relatives and friends. 

Temples erected to the worship of this deity are found 
in every part of the empire, and are numerous, costly, 
and imposing. The theory of Buddhism requires its 
temples to be built in retired places among the hills, for 
the sake of the quiet and seclusion which such 23laces 
afford. Accordingly, most of the tem23les connected with 
this sect, which are not erected in cities and towns for 
the convenience of the devotees, are found in the most 
beautiful and romantic situations which the country 
affords. 

Some of the temples have pagodas connected with 
them, which are towers, of five to seven stories, sub- 
stantially built of stone or brick. They form a very 
characteristic and beautiful feature in Chinese landscapes. 
Many of them show evidences of great antiquity. They 



112 AROUND THE WORLD. 

were probably built originally to be the repositories of 
some valuable relics, or to commemorate some noted 
person. Occasionally one is found to contain idols. 
The idols are manufactured of the different metals, or of 
stone or clay. The largest are made of wood covered 
with mortar, and gilded on the outside with gold-leaf, and 
in some cases they are painted in different colors. It is 
considered essential that all idols, both lai'ge and small, 
should be supplied with artificial entrails which repre- 
sent the living spirit, without which the god would be 
regarded as worthless. Sometimes pearls and precious 
stones, or live snakes or other reptiles, are added, which 
are lodged in the body through a hole in the back. These 
images are generally well executed as to their forms. 
These facts are worthy of notice, as indicative of the 
character of the people, and the art with which Satan 
suits the forms of idolatry to the minds of his deluded 
victims. 

The general appearance of the large Buddhist temples 
is grand and imposing in their architectural taste and 
skill. They are well proportioned, and in each one the 
plan of the interior is suited to the size and number of 
the idols which it is to contain. The large roofs are 
covered with tiling, said to last more than half a century 
without repair. The interiors are ornamented with 
elaborate carvings in wood and stone, and have a great 
variety of inscriptions on the walls and pillars. 

Buddhist priests profess to live on a vegetable diet, 
which consists principally of red rice, and wear no clothes 
made of wool or the skins of animals, as they consider it 



RELIGION OF THE (JHINEHE. 113 

a crime to take animal life. They also shave the whole 
head, and wear garments peculiar to their order, consist- 
ing of a single blanket wrapped around the body. Many 
of them have marks burner- upon their heads oi* arms, as 
the evidence of merit. Some of the younger priests are 
engaged to a certain extent about the monastery or in 
tilling the soil, but these duties are for the most part 
performed by hired laborers, while the priests lead a life 
of ease and indolence. Some of them S23end the most of 
their lives in the same monastery, and some have a rov- 
ing propensity, traveling over the greater part of China; 
they easily beg their way as they go, and find convenient 
lodgings in the monasteries of their own order. They 
generally carry with them a passjDort or introduction from 
a superior with whom they are acquainted. Without 
this, however, the laws of their order give them the priv- 
ilege of stopping at any place for rest and refreshment. 

The best recommendation is said to consist in quali- 
fications for earning money. Each monastery is regarded 
as a large household, and, when j^riests earn money, part 
of it is expected to go to the establishment. In conse- 
quence of the traveling pro23ensities of these pricvsts, large 
monasteries present striking instances of the confusion 
of tongues, and frequently priests of the same order can- 
not understand each other without a third person to act 
as interpreter. The number of priests in these establish- 
ments varies, often several hundred being placed in the 
same monastery. 

The incomes of monasteries are derived from the vol- 
untary contributions of the people ; money paid to the 



114 AROUND THE WORLD. 

priests in remuneration for their services at funeials^ 
whicli goes to their support ; and the proceeds of the 
lands with which many of them have been endowed. 
The specific duties of the priesthood are chanting, per- 
forming different ceremonies in the temples, and begging. 
The chanting of a regular and formal service is performed 
morning and evening, and is carried on in connection 
with the burning of incense and candles, prostration, the 
beating of drums and bells, and pacing backward and 
forward, bowing to the idols ; the whole performance 
lasts about an hour. In case a temple or monastery is 
out of repair, priests are sent to solicit subscriptions from 
door to door. Wealthy individuals, and sometimes offi- 
cers, give large sums, influenced partly by a desire to 
be seen and praised of men, and partly by the hope of 
securing happiness in a future state. 

Connected with most of the large Buddhist temples 
are some priests distinguished from their class by living 
in rude huts, or caves among the hills, in the greatest 
retirement. Their time is principally s|)ent in keeping 
the taper lighted before their gods, reciting their chants, 
and cooking their simple meals. While professing to 
seek this retirement for the sake of meditation, they 
seem almost to lose their power of thinking. They are 
in these secluded places supported by the contributions 
of friends and temple-worshipers, and by supplies from 
the monastery with which they are connected. It is 
commonly reported and believed that those who live 
thus attain to greater longevity, and require very little 
sustenance to support life. 



RELIGION OF THE OJITNESE. 



\\h 



There are other priests who spend theii* time in closed 
rooms or cells ; these are connected also with the larger 
establishments. They commence their secluded life with 
considerable formality. On an appointed day they enter 
the room or rooms which are to be their future abode, 
and all the doors are sealed by numerous strips of paper, 
on which is written, in large characters, a statement (;f 
the day when the confinement commenced, and liowlong 
it is to continue. Only one small hole is left in the wall, 
through which articles are handed in and out. Here 
the blind devotee immures himself for years, and per- 
haps for life. Priests sometimes take refuge in the 
cloistered cells to escape punishment, after having broken 
their vows by the commission of crimes. Sometimes 
rich men, who are unwilling to devote themselves t(^ a 
life of seclusion, pay the priests, and provide them at the 
same time with food, that they shall offer up prayers in 
their behalf. 

Connected with the religion of Buddhism is a large 
number of nunneries. With regard to the worship per- 
formed in these institutions, and the manner in which 
they are supported and their affairs conducted, they 
differ very little from the monasteries. It is said, as re- 
gards the character and practices of their inmates, that, 
with few exceptions, their reputation is far from being 
above suspicion. 

The worshipers in Buddhist temples are for the 
most part women, and these are generally advanced in 
age ; but the young women, according to the customs of 
the country, are forbidden to appear in public. The 



11(3 AROUND THE WORLD. 

older women, liaving but little to do, and reminded bj 
their age of tlie necessity of preparing for a future state, 
spend much of their time in the temples. In conse- 
quence of the inferior station of women in China, and 
their peculiar trials, being a woman is regarded as a 
great misfortune ; but they console themselves with the 
hope that their earnest devotions at the temple, or 
shrines of Buddha, will gain them the privilege of being 
changed into men in the future ^tate. 

There are twelve or fifteen days in the year on which 
a small amount of tich can be obtained. The women 
generally get about this number of days yearly, but 
those detained at home by sickness or other causes are 
not able to come to the temple on the regular tick days. 
For the consideration of a few small coins the priests 
allow their names to be enrolled, and they can send for 
the tich Sit any time and chant over it at home. 

On worship-days a great number of women may be 
seen slowly making their way to their chosen place of 
devotion. They generally go in small companies, carry- 
ing with them a little basket containing candles and 
incense-sticks. They are always dressed in tlieir best 
clothes, as it would be considered disrespectful to the 
gods to appear before them in their every-day apparel ; 
and they hope also, by their dress and behavior, to pro- 
duce the impression upon the gods that they are persons 
in better circumstances than they really are. 

At the temple the worshij) is conducted in the fol- 
lowing manner : A few candles are liglited and placed 
before the gods either l)y the worshiper or priest in 



RELIGION OF THE CHINESE. 1]^ 

attendance ; incense-sticks are also lighted and j)laced in 
the large bowl of ashes before each idol, or the one to 
which the individual expects to pay homage ; the design 
of the worshiper in doing this is to apprise the gods of 
her presence and intentions. These incense-sticks are 
about a foot long, and an eighth of an inch in diameter ; 
when the sticks have been lit and properly arranged, the 
worshiper bows again and again, and at length prostrates 
herself upon the floor. 

Usually large numbers of people may be seen at the 
Buddhist and other temples on the 1st and 15th of each 
month, and also on the birthdays of the different gods. 
Special visits are made for special purposes at all times. 
Some go to pray for children ; some to seek for an omen 
or ask advice in cases of exigency or perplexity; some to 
procure medicine for sick persons, and others to make 
vows. Sometimes, in extreme cases, advice is obtained 
by the worshiper taking in his hand a little box opened 
at the top, containing a number of small labeled wooden 
sticks, whichj he shakes in front of the idol until one of 
them falls out. The number written on this stick points 
out the corresponding slip of paper in a book where the 
desired answer may be found ; this is written in large 
letters, indicating whether the matter in question will 
terminate favorably or unfavorably. The same device is 
used in asking for medicine, though the god interrogated 
is different, and the slip of paper contains medical pre- 
scriptions only. As a general rule, the Chinese have 
physicians, who are often called to administer to the sick. 

Vows are made in cases of distress and uncertainty ; 



118 AROUND TEE WORLD. 

the person assuming a vow, in order to secure the assist- 
ance and protection of some deity, promises to provide 
something very good for the god to look at, or to feed 
hungry ghosts, or to furnish new clothes for some idol 
in the temple. Some of the gods not painted, or covered 
with gold-leaf, wear a variety of clothes, which are 
changed with the changing seasons. 

Ancestral temples are numerous in China ; almost 
every small village contains one, most of these villages 
being composed principally of inhabitants of the same 
name or family. These ancestral temples are the most 
sacred spots on earth to a Chinaman : here repose the 
spirits of his ancestors ; this is the place for family meet- 
ings on sncrificial days ; here he expects that his spirit 
will find its last resting-place, and share in the homage 
and offerings of future generations. These facts relating 
to ancestral worship explain the anxiety of the Chinese 
who visit our Western coast of America to have their 
bodies carried back to their homes in case of death. 
They wish their dust to mingle with that of their an- 
cestors, and their spirits to be restored to their ancestral 
temples, else they would be unhoused, unfed, uncared 
for — wandering, starving, homeless ghosts in a foreign 
land, than which condition nothing can be more dreaded 
by them. 

There is another kind of worship practised, that of 
the kitchen-god so called, which occupies an important 
place in the national religious rites. This form of idola- 
try is as ancient as the one just described, and as univer- 
sal, being practised in every family. The kitchen-god 



RELIGION OF THE CHINESE. 



119 



has no temple, nor images. It is worshiped under tlie 
representation of an engraved paper, generally alxjut a 
foot square, pasted on the kitchen-range. This style of 
worship may he regarded as the household divinity of 
China; it is supposed that it takes cognizance of every- 




TEJIPLE OP HEAVEN. 



thing which transpires in the family, and makes a report 
at the close of the year in the presence of the chief of the 
gods. On the night when the report is made, all the 
members of the family are present, and a feast is given 
for and in honor of the god, intended to induce him to 
make as favorable a report at headquarters as possible. 
At the close of the feast the paper-god is removed from 



120 AROUND THE WORLD. 

the kitchen-range and burned, and on the first day of the 
new year a new paper is procured, and the kitchen-god 
is requested to resume his place in the family ! 

Another ceremony is performed, called ying-chun — 
the welcoming of spring — which is observed every year 
on the first day of spring. It is customary for the 
ofiicers to go out through the east gate of the city, where 
they find clay images of a ploughman and his ox, which 
had been previously made for the occasion. They then 
witness a theatrical performance in the temple of the 
god of agriculture, which is designed to encourage the 
people to be industrious in agricultural pursuits, and 
then the clay images are brought back into the city and 
worshiped ; on the following day they ai'e broken in 
pieces by the officers. The fragments of these images 
are highly prized and eagerly sought by the people, who 
carry them to their homes as a pledge of good luck for 
the coming season. The design of this ceremony seems 
to be to inculcate veneration for the ox, and respect for 
husbandry. 

The god of war is everywhere worshiped, and has 
temples erected to him throughout the empire. During 
the last civil war in China, the emperor heaped new 
honors upon him on account of alleged deliverances, but 
no doubt principally to inspire confidence in the for- 
tunes of his dynasty. 

The god of wealth is much regarded, for he has not 
only large temples erected solely in honor of him, but 
every shop contains his image, in a little shrine, before 
which incense is kept continually burning, and many 



RELIGION OF THE CHINESE. ^21 

business houses have this god either over the door or 
on the sides, to keep av\^ay the evil spirit. 

In cities and towns men of different classes and occu- 
pations have each their own peculiar deities, in addition 
to those gods which they worship in common with the 
mass of the people. Scholars worship the god of letters, 
business men the god of wealth, dealers in medicine the 
god who discovered medicine, carpenters the god who 
invented the tools with which they work, sailors the 
goddess of the seas ; and there are other gods too numer- 
ous to mention. 

In all heathen countries the people indulge in the 
worship of idols, that which God commanded them not 
to do. The first allusion in the Bible to idolatry, or 
idolatrous customs, is in the account of Rachel's stealing 
her father's images (Genesis xxx. 19). When Moses 
was in the mount, Aaron, by request of the Israelites, 
who clamored for some visible shape in which they might 
worship God, who had brought them up out of Egypt, 
yielded to the popular cry, and chose as the symbol of 
deity a calf, one with which they had long been familiar 
(Exodus xxxii.). 

The three principal religions in China, namely, the 
state, Confucianism, and Buddhism, are not regarded by 
the people as antagonistic sects. It is said to be very 
common for the same persons to profess and perform the 
rites and worship of them all. 

Of other relio-ious sects in China the Mohammedans 
are numerous. They entered China from Arabia in the 
seventh century, and their number has gradually in- 



122 AROUND THE WORLD. 

creased by immigration from Mohammedan states and 
by natural increase — not by proselytism. Their mosques 
may be seen in all the large cities. 

Buddhism, in numbers, is greater than any other re- 
ligion in the world. It includes over one-third more 
than all others together. It prevails not only in China 
and Japan, but in India, Siberia, and maay other coun- 
tries. According to Hassel, the numerical value of the 
various important religions of the world may be esti- 
mated as follows : 

Buddhists 315,000,000 

Mohammedans .... 250,000,000 

Christians of all denominations . . 120,000,000 

Confucianists, etc 111,000,000 

Jews 4,000,000 

Other numerous sects . . . 100,000,000 



Total 900,000,000 

The chief step toward Christianizing our world has 
been taken by opening the Chinese Empire. Throwing 
open her doors to admit the gospel of Christ to a third 
of the human race is doubtless one of the greatest among 
the great events of the present age, and one that should 
awaken no ordinary interest throughout the Christian 
world. It is an event in which the hand of God is 
clearly manifest, preparing the way and leading forward 
gradually the movement of his kingdom toward the 
period when the heathen shall be given to the Son for 
an inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for 
a possession. 

Christianity, in some of its forms, is no new thing in 



RELIGION OF THE CIIINESE. ]28 

China. If what can be gathered from ancient writers is 
reliable, there is a strong probability that the gospel was 
preached in China, and churches were founded, during 
the first century of our era. Assemanus, a learned Syr- 
ian historian, claims that the apostle Thomas crossed 
over Persia and India into China, and preached the gos- 
pel and founded churches. There are various arguments, 
collected from learned men, to show that the Christian 
faith was carried to China by the first teachers of Chris- 
tianity at an early period. Mosheim says that in the 
year 300 many Christian deeds were done in China. 
Chinese history also makes a clear reference to Chris- 
tianity in that country at this period. On the whole, 
historic testimony is quite united and strongly in favor 
of the view that Christian churches were established in 
China many centuries ago. In the seventh and eighth 
centuries the Nestorian missions in China were flourish- 
ing. This is learned from an inscription upon a remark- 
able marble tablet discovered in the year 1625, in Segan, 
the capital of the province of Sh en-si, and still to be seen 
there, which was erected in the year 781. From this 
inscription it is evident that the Nestorians had made 
great progress among the Chinese : the Bible, or at least 
portions of it, was translated, and put in the library of 
the palace ; churches were built, and priests were ap- 
pointed and supported by command of the Chinese em- 
perors ; many men occupying high official stations were 
the warm friends of the foreign missionaries, and firm 
adherents and zealous supporters of the faith. 

In 845, sixty-four years after the erection of the tablet 



;[24 AROUND THE WORLD. 

alluded to, persecution arose, and by an edict of tlie em- 
peror the priests that came from Syria, in all numbering 
nearly a thousand, were ordered to retire to private life. 
From this time the missions appear to have declined. 
Still, foreign priests continued for several centuries occa- 
sionally to arrive, and churches continued to exist in 
various parts of the empire, until a fierce persecution 
arose that scattered the Christians and changed their 
places of worship into heathen temples. This occurred 
about the middle of the sixteenth century, when the 
churches had already become very corrupt and feeble. 
Since that time, it is not known that a single Nestorian 
church has existed in the empire. 

Roman Catholic missions have also been in operation 
in China for a long period. Their first mission was com- 
menced by the Franciscans in 1292. They continued 
their work till the expulsion of the Mongols from the 
throne of China, in 1368, when their mission was broken 
up ; from this time, for a period of two hundred and 
thirteen years, we hear no more of the Roman Catholic 
missions in China. In the year 1581 the Jesuits com- 
menced a mission, which continued to prosper for a period 
of one hundred and forty-three years, and many churches 
were established. Since then things have gradually 
taken a change for the worse, and the missions have suf- 
fered frequent and severe persecutions ; they have, how- 
ever, been able to prosecute their work down to the 
present time. 

Protestant missions to the Chinese were commenced 
in 1807, by the Rev. Robert Morrison, of the London 



RELIGION OF THE CHINESE. 125 

Missionary Society, who began a mission at Canton. As 
China was not yet oj)ened to intercourse with the West- 
ern world, and the East India Company — which then 
monopolized the ti-ade with China — Avas opposed to mis- 
sions, Mr. Morrison was not at liberty to preach openly; 
but he held secret meetings with a few natives in his 
own house, where with locked doors he read and ex- 
plained the gospel every Lord's day. He labored alone 
for six years, and was then joined by the Kev. William 
Milne. 

Up to 1841, a period of thirty-iive years, fifty-eight 
missionaries had joined the various missions, of whom 
only four came direct to Canton ; others were stationed 
at different places. In 1842, when British cannon had 
opened the long-closed gates of China, missionaries rap- 
idly increased ; numbers entered the field, and with great 
zeal began to lay broad and deep the foundations of 
their future work. Buildings were erected ; schools, 
printing establishments, and chaj^els, were opened. 

By the treaties of 1860 — secured by the second war 
— ten new ports were opened. At most of these mis- 
sions were established ; day and boarding schools have 
been extensively maintained ; hundreds of native preach- 
ers have been trained up in these schools ; dispensaries 
and hospitals have been established at nearly all the 
free ports, where more than ten thousand patients have 
annually been treated, and at the same time have been 
brought under the influence of the gospel ; ^yq complete 
versions of the Bible, and over seven hundred other trea- 
tises, have been prepared and circulated in great numbers. 



126 AROUND THE WORLD. 

And now, tliat wMcli should greatly enhance the in- 
terest of American Christians in this field is the fact that 
it is brought so close to them. The construction of the 
Pacific Railroad, and the Pacific mail-steamship line, have 
brought China very near to us. Formerly the Flowery 
Land was at the very ends of the earth ; now the facil- 
ities for intercommunication have brought her almost 
to our very doors, and she is beginning to command onr 
attention. Before this new mode of communication was 
opened, missionaries to China were about ^lyq months in 
reaching their field of labor ; now they can reach it in 
five weeks. Then they had the discomforts of a long 
sea-voyage around the Cape of Good Hope in a sailing- 
vessel ; but now, in splendid palace and sleeping cars, 
they cross the continent to San Francisco in a week, and 
thence in a splendid steamship, with every comfort that 
can be enjoyed at sea, they can cross the Pacific and reach 
China in less than a month. 



CHAPTER XL 

CHINESE MANNEES AND CUSTOMS. 

The Chinese are said to be hospitable and generous; 
but when under the influence of passion, excited by in- 
justice or insult, quarrels arise in the family or on the 
streets, in which women often take part. They bluster 
and threaten in a manner quite frightful to those unac- 
customed to them, but seldom come to blows. In cases 
of deep resentment, the injured party often adopts a 
singular mode of revenge : instead of killing his antag- 
onist, he determines rather to kill himself. In this way 
he would fix the stigma of murder upon his adversary, 
whom the people generally regard as the cause of the 
crime, and responsible for it. A person under these cir- 
cumstances sometimes commits suicide by hanging him- 
self in his own house ; but the most common mode is to 
swallow opium, and then hire coolies to carry him to die 
at the door of his enemy. Their motive in leading to 
selfdestruction lies probably in the hope of having 
greater advantages for inflicting injury and gaining re- 
venge in the spirit-world than while living in the flesh. 

The Chinese costume, of both sexes, is loose and flow- 
ing, and with scarcely any change in fashion. The 
masses of the population wear homespun cotton ; the 
wealthier classes are clad in silks, satins, furs, and other 



X28 AROUND THE WORLD. 

more costly materials. The dress-makers are men instead, 
of women, and the various trades and occupations are 
singularly mixed up. The men wear their hair as long 
as it will grow, and when plaited it often reaches V)elow 
their knees, while the women carefully braid theirs on 
and around the head. The men commonly wear a sort 
of petticoat, or loose garment reaching to the feet, while 
the women, on the other hand, wear trousers or panta- 
loons. 

The official rank and position of the Chinese are in- 
dicated by the color and peculiarities of buttons, feathers, 
caps, and embroidered work, on their garments ; these 
official badges are much regarded by the people. In 
meeting with a company of foreigners, they are prone 
to notice them carefully, to discover by what outward 
badge or mark their rank is indicated, and are apt to 
conclude that it is by the variety of caps and hats they 
wear. 

The practice of binding girls' feet is almost universal 
among the higher classes. It is regarded as a mark of 
distinction for ladies to have small feet; in every city 
great numbers of women, perhaps a quarter or more of 
the female population, may be seen toddling about the 
streets on their pegs, looking very much as if their feet 
had l)een cut off and they were walking on the stumps; 
it is ^vith the greatest difficulty that they can balance 
themselves in walking, and many resort to a cane to keep 
themselves straight. There is a marked difference in the 
degree in which feet are compressed. Country-women 
and the ])()()rer classes have feet about half the natural 



CHINESE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 129 

size, while those of the genteel or fashionable class are 
only about three inches long. The process of compress- 
ing is commenced after girls have learned to walk, and 
have developed the muscles for locomotion, and generally 
at the age of five years, when a cotton bandage two or 
three inches wide is wound tightly around the foot, and 
from this time the foot ceases to grow ; it assumes the 
shape of an acute triangle, the big toe forming the acute 
anoxic, and the other toes beins: bent under the foot, and 
almost lost or absorbed. This custom has existed for 
many centuries, and the Chinese cannot account satis- 
factorily for its origin. It probably arose from a strife 
among women for the jDreeminence of having the smallest 
feet. The Chinese insist upon it that the custom of 
compressing women's feet is neither in as bad taste, nor 
so injurious to the health, as that of foreign ladies com- 
pressing the ^vaist. 

The Chinese have a custom, quite peculiar to them- 
selves, of ordering their coffins and having them sent 
home long before they have any thought of dying ; they 
take great pride in selecting the best materials, having 
them made of thick slabs of wood, good and strong, and, 
when they can afford it, in the most expensive style, and 
take great pleasure in showing them to their friends, 
keeping them where they may be seen by all who call. 

Chinese houses are ordinarily furnished with chairs, 
tables, stands, and bedsteads. When they have com- 
pany the two sexes eat separately in different rooms, but 
in ordinary meals different members of the family of 
both sexes sit down together with much less formality. 



130 AROUND THE WORLD. 

On the tables of both rich and poor may be seen a large 
dish filled Avith rice; before each chair is placed an 
empty bowl and two chop-sticks, which are about eight 
inches long, and resemble somewhat a common penholder ; 
these are made of bamboo or ivory. Each individual at 
the table takes up the chop-sticks in the right hand, and, 
holding them between the thumb and fingers in such 
a manner that the lower ends approach each other like 
a pair of pincers or tongs, eats comparatively with as 
much ease as we do with knives and forks. 

Beef is never exposed for sale in the Chinese mar- 
kets. The meat of the few cattle which are used for 
ploughing is, when they are killed, disposed of princi- 
pally to foreigners. There is a strong and almost uni> 
versal prejudice against eating beef The reason gener- 
ally given for this prejudice is, that we are so much 
indebted to the patient labors of the ox and cow for 
ploughing our fields. Milk is hardly used at all. They 
eat pork, fowls, eggs, fish, and game. In all the open 
ports beef and milk are supplied for the use of foreign 
residents. 

During the months of August and September in 
every year, when diseases are usually prevalent, the 
people suppose that the gates of hell are opened, and 
the spirits are turned out for a kind of holiday ; at 
this time they are honored with ceremonies performed 
throughout the country. The object of these ceremonies 
is to avert the evil, and secure health and peace to the 
afflicted families. Quantities of food are prepared which 
are set on ta})les in an open place or court; clothes of 



CHINESE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 131 

paper of different sizes, styles, and colors, are suspended 
over the table, and a company of priests and singers is 
employed to add variety and noise to the entertainment. 
After dark, lanterns are suspended from higli poles to call 
the spirits from a distance and indicate to them where 
food can be found. This food is of a very inferior 
quality, and, after the feast is over, given to beggars. It 
is supposed that the charms of the priests have the 
power to convert both the food and the paper clothes 
into just what is required to satisfy the wants of those 
for whom they were intended. 

Weddings in China are celebrated with a great deal 
of formality and expense. Betrothals are generally con- 
tracted at a very early age ; persons of the same family 
name are never betrothed, however distant tlie relation- 
ship. The work is done in most cases by a class of 
women called go-betweens or match-makers. They are 
a class employed at weddings and funerals in superin- 
tending the toilet and affording assistance. They go 
about constantly from family to family, and are famil- 
iarly acquainted vdth every one in the neighborhood, 
and suggest to parents where they may find girls who 
would make a desirable match for their sons. These 
women form the medium for carrying on communication 
between the two families. It would be regarded as 
improper and indelicate for the parents to arrange the 
matter themselves. The betrothal is consummated by 
the exchange of presents and the making over to the 
parents of the groom a formal document or agreement. 
The relation of husband and wife is thus constituted. 



132 AROUND THE WORLD. 

and the engagement is regarded as sacred and binding 
as if the marriage Lad been performed ; but the wedding 
in many cases does not take place until several years 
after, for children are generally betrothed at an early 
age, from five to seven, and some older, and married at 
the age agreed upon by the parents. 

When a Chinaman meets a person whom he intends 
to salute, instead of taking him by the hand and giving 
it a shake, as with us, he shakes his own hands, putting 
them together and moving them up and down. On 
coming into your presence he never thinks of raising his 
hat or cap or whatever he may wear, although he may 
remove his shoes. If a Chinaman wishes to do you 
special honor, instead of placing you at his right hand, 
you will have a seat or standing-place on his left. When 
invited to a feast or other entertainment, the men and 
women, although invited together, do not eat in com- 
pany, but occupy separate rooms. 

The language of China is another peculi;irity. It 
is said the spoken language is never wjitten, and the 
written language is never spoken ; so that one may be 
familiar with Chinese books, and not understand any- 
thing of the conversation of the people. In reading a 
book, they commence at the top of the page and go to 
the bottom, instead of across the page, as we do; the 
lines running downward, numbering from right to left. 
The title of the book is on the side of the page instead 
of tlie toj), and the contents of the chapter at the end 
instead of the beginning. 

The first thing which attracts attention in the list of 



CHINESE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 133 

trade witli China is tlie opium- traffic. The Opium War 
and the present opium-trade is a dark blot upon the 
history of the British Government. No one can visit 
China without witnessing the evil effects of opium on 
the multitudes of miserable victims which it is daily de- 
priving of mental and. physical vigor, and consigning to 
the grave ; no one can read the humble words in which 
the Chinese commissioners have besought the British 
representatives not to force this destructive drug upon 
the ^nation ; no one can recall the heartless manner in 
Mrhicli such appeals were answered with threats, and 
afterward with broadsides from vessels-of-war, until tbe 
way was made open for the wholesale introduction of 
opium in all parts of the empire — whicb course, on the 
part of the British authorities, had a powerful tendency 
to retard the Christian mission-work, and check the prog- 
ress of religion — without feelings of the deepest indig- 
nation. ^ 

Opium to a small extent has been cultivated in China 
for several centuries, but only for its medical properties. 
Since its introduction from India, the plant has become 
an article of culture in many parts of the empire. It is 
said that in Persia, India, and China, millions of people 
are employed in the cultivation of tbe poppy. 

The preparation of opium for the Chinese market is 
superintended by examiners appointed by the Govern- 
ment, and is a business of some difficulty, owing to the 
many devices employed by the manufacturers for its 
adulteration and to increase its weight : mixing wdth 
water, soft clay, sugar, powdered cow-dung, and many 



134 AROUND THE WORLD, 

other things, are resorted to. When the juice is taken 
from the cultivator, the crude mass undergoes a careful 
examination, and is rolled into small balls, with a cover- 
ing of opium mixed with the leaves of the poppy. The 
juice, when properly prepared and dried, is of the con- 
sistency of thick mortar and of a yellow color. 

The Chinese do not raise enough opium for home 
consumption, and a very large quantity is brought from 
India. Nearly all the opium grown in India is brought 
to Calcutta and stored in Government warehouses, until 
exposed for sale at auction in lots from ^yq chests each, 
at an upset price graduated by the market rate in China. 
It is supposed to cost about seven hundred rupees a 
chest, and is sold for one thousand rupees and upward, 
yielding an immense profit to the British Government. 
Before marketing the drug is rolled into small balls, and 
then packed in strong boxes weighing one hundred and 
twenty-five pounds each. 

Thousands and tens of thousands of the Chinese peo- 
ple annually die from the evil effects of opium. Various 
means have been tried by the benevolent men of the 
nation to dissuade their countrymen from its use, by dis- 
tributing tracts showing its ruinous effects, and com- 
pounding medicines for the smoker to take, to aid him 
in breaking off the habit, and denouncing the smoking- 
shops, etc. 

The opium-pipe consists of a tube or stem, of bamboo, 
from three to four feet long, furnished at the end with a 
little cu]) of earthenware, which rests upon a small lamp 
or furnace filled with coals, upon which the bowl of the 



CHINESE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS, 135 

pipe rests. A small piece of opium, not much larger 
than a pea, is put upon the hole of the bowl, set on fire 
by the lamp or coals, and inhaled by one whiff, so that 
none of the smoke shall be lost. Old smokers will re- 
tain the breath a long time, filling the lungs and exhal- 
ing the fumes through the nose. It is said that, after the 
smoker has finished his pipe, he falls into a deep sleep 
of from one to four hours' duration. 

In walking through the streets of Canton I saw, in 
many of the stores and shops, persons sitting flat upon 
the floor with the feet curled under their bodies, with 
their pipes resting upon a small furnace of coals, smok- 
ing ; the sidewalks are also used for the same purpose. 
They commonly lie or sit down to smoke, and often two 
or three persons smoke from the same pipe, first one and 
then the other taking a whiff. 

The testimony regarding the evil effects of the use 
of this pernicious drug, which deserves better to be 
called an article of destruction than one of luxury, 
should be well pondered by all who feel an interest in 
our fallen race of humanity. Dr. Smith, a physician in 
charge of one of the hospitals, says that the poisonous ef- 
ects of this habit on the human constitution are particu- 
larly displayed by stupor, forgetfulness, general debility 
of both the mental and physical faculties, sallow com- 
plexion, dullness of the eye, and the appetite either de- 
stroyed or depraved. These symptoms appear when the 
habit has weakened the physical powers ; even the ordi- 
nary smoker soon becomes languid, being disabled men- 
tally more than bodily from carrying on his ordinary 



136 [ABOUND THE WORLD. 

pursuits. A dose of opium does not produce the intox- 
ication of ardent spirits, and, so far as the community 
and Ms family are concerned, tLe smoker is less trouble- 
some than the drunkard, for he never throws the chairs 
and tables about the room, nor breaks the furniture, as 
the drunkard may; he never drives his wife out-of-doors 
in his furious rage, nor goes reeling through the streets, 
nor takes lodgings in the gutter, but after smoking he is 
inclined to go to sleep, and he awakes quietly. 

A Chinese scholar thus sums up the bad effects of 
opium, which he says is taken at first to raise the animal 
spirits. On the contrary, he affirms that it depresses the 
spirits, impedes the regular performance of business, 
wastes the flesh and blood, dissipates every kind of 
property, renders the victim prone to violate the laws, 
attacks the vitals, and destroys life. Under each of these 
heads he shows the mode of the process, or gives exam- 
ples to uphold his assertions in regard to its destructive 
action on the human system. Compared with arsenic, I 
pronounce it tenfold the greater poison. One swallows 
arsenic, because he has lost his reputation and from other 
causes ; thus driven to desperation, he takes the dose 
and is destroyed at once. But those who smoke opium 
are injured in many ways ; it may be compared to rais- 
ing the wick of a lamp : while it increases the blaze, it 
hastens the exhaustion of the oil and the extinction of 
the light. Hence the youth who becomes addicted to 
opium-smoking will shorten his own days and cut off all 
hopes of posterity. From the most robust who indulge 
in smoking, the flesh is gradually consumed and worn 



(JHINESE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



137 



away, and the countenance becomes haggard and dark- 
looking. The habitual smoker will often spend days 
over his pipe, for when the desire of opium comes on he 
cannot resist the temptation. It is said that poor men 




OPIUM- SMOKERS. 



who are addicted to this vice, after having pawned every 
article in their possession for the purchase of the de- 
basing drug, have even pawned their wives and sold 
their daughters ! 

10 



138 ABOUND THE WORLD. 

The evils suffered and crimes committed by these 
desperate victims of tlie opium-pipe are fearful and mul- 
tiplied : theft, arson, murder, and suicide, are perpetrated 
in order to obtain the drug; and, from its dreadful con- 
sequences, some try to break off tlie fatal liabit by drink- 
ing a tincture of the opium-drug in spirits, gradually 
diminishing its strength until the appetite for the stimu- 
lant is overcome. Others mix opium with tobacco, and 
smoke the compound in a gradually reduced proportion, 
until tobacco alone remains in the pipe. By this method 
some smokers have lost the appetite for opium. The 
general belief is that the vice can be overcome without 
fatal results, if the smoker firmly resolves to forsake it, 
and keeps away from the sight and smell of the pipe, 
keeping as much as possible in the open air until he 
recovers his spirits, and no longer feels a longing for it ; 
but very few have nerve enough to emancipate them- 
selves from the tyrannous and soul-killing habit which 
enslaves them. But it happens unto them according 
to the true proverb : " The dog is turned to his own 
vomit again ; and the sow that was washed to her wal- 
lowing in the mire " (2 Peter ii. 22). 

The Chinese Government is one of the great wouders 
of history. It presents to us to-day the same character 
which it possessed at its foundation, at least three thou- 
sand years ago, and which it has retained ever since. 

A prominent English writer, in speaking of the Chi- 
nese executive system, characterizes it as one of the most 
gigantic and the most minutely organized in the world. 



CnmESE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS, 139 

The character of the Government is patriarchal, and 
assumed its present form at a very early age, when the 
Chinese race was divided into petty kingdoms and prin- 
cipalities. As the empire grew in territory and popula- 
tion, the fundamental principle was retained. 

The emperor is called the Son of Heaven, who exer- 
cises supreme control over the whole empire, because 
Heaven has empowered and required him to do so. His 
patriarchal character, while it confers on him absolute 
sovereignty, imposes also the obligation to treat his peo- 
ple with justice and sympathy. It is said that he lives 
in unapproachable grandeur, and is never seen except 
by members of his own family and high state officers ; 
nothing is omitted which can add to the dignity and 
sacredness of his person or character, and almost every- 
thing used by him is held sacred by the common people, 
and distinguished by some peculiar mark or color, so as 
to keep up the impression of awe with which he is re- 
garded. The outer gate of the palace must always be 
passed on foot, and the paved entrance leading up to it 
can only be used by him and the high officers of state. 

The throne is not strictly hereditary, though the old- 
est son of the emperor generally succeeds to it. The 
emperor appoints his successor, but it is supposed that, 
in doing so, he will have supreme regard for the best 
good of his subjects, and will be governed by the will 
of Heaven. 

In governing so large a realm it is found necessary 
for the emperor to delegate his authority to numerous 
officers, who are regarded as his agents and represent- 



140 AROUND THE WORLD. 

atives in carrying out the imperial will ; wliat they da 
the emperor does through them. 

The cabinet consists of four principal and two joint 
assistant chancellors, half of them Mantchoos and half 
Chinese. Their duties, according to the imperial stat- 
utes, are to deliberate on the government of the empire, 
regulate the canons of state, together with the whole 
administration of the balance of power, and aid the em- 
peror in directing the ajffairs of state. Subordinate to 
these six chancellors are also six other grades of officers, 
amounting in all to several hundred persons. 

The general council is composed of princes of the 
blood, of the chancellors' cabinet, the presidents and vice- 
presidents of the six boards, and chief officers of all the 
other courts in the capital. Its duties are to write im- 
perial edicts and decisions, and determine such things 
as are of importance to the army and nation, in order 
to aid the sovereign in regulating the machinery of state 
affairs. It is principally by means of this council that 
the emperor, and his immediate advisers, become ac- 
quainted with and control those who are engaged in dif- 
ferent departments of the Government. 

There are three subordinate grades of officers in each 
board, who may be called directors, with a great number 
of minor clerks. The details of all the departments, in 
the general and provincial governments, are regulated 
in the same manner. 

When Confucius began to teach his doctrines, he re- 
ferred to the ancient kings and their conduct, both for 
proof of the correctness of his instructions, and for argu- 



CHINESE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 141 

ments to enforce them. It shows that his countrymen 
assented to their propriety from the large number of 
disciples he had in his lifetime, and the high character 
he bore, but it was not till after two or three centuries 
had elapsed that the rulers of China perceived that the 
adoption and diffusion of these doctrines would give 
them sway ; they therefore began to embody them more 
and more into laws, and base the institutions of govern- 
ment upon them, and, through all the convulsions and 
wars which have disturbed the country and changed the 
reigning families, the writings of Confucius have done 
more than anything else to uphold the institutions of 
the Chinese, and give them a character and. permanence 
which no other people ever had. Education, as well as 
political economy, being founded on them, students have 
ever been taught to receive and reverence them as the 
oracles of political wisdom. 

But this civilization is Asiatic and not European, 
pagan and not Christian. The institutions of China are 
despotic and defective, and founded on wrong principles ; 
they may possess the elements of stability, but not of 
improvement. The patriarchal theory does not make 
men honorable, truthful, or kind; it does not place 
woman in her right position, that to which she is en- 
titled, nor teach her millions of inhabitants their obliga- 
tions to their Creator. 

A cursory inspection will show that the great lead- 
ing principles by which the present Chinese Government 
preserves its power over the people consist in a system 
of strict surveillance and mutual responsibility among 



142 AROUND THE WORLD. 

all classes. They are enforced by such a minute grada- 
tion of rank and subordination of officers as to give the 
Government essentially a military character, and the 
whole system is such as to make it one of the most 
unmixed despotisms now existing. It is said to be like 
a network, extending over the whole face of society. 
The man who knows that it is almost impossible, except 
by entire seclusion, to escape from the company of secret 
agents of the Government, will be cautious of offending 
the laws of the country, convinced that, though he should 
himself escape, yet his family or kindred will suffer for 
Ms offense. 



CHAPTER XIT. 



CHINESE INDUSTRY. 



Agtricultuee, of all manual labor, holds the first 
place in the honor and estimation of the Chinese, not 
alone as providing a regular supply of food for so large 
a population, but also in meeting the wants of the Gov- 
ernment by taxation; and long experience has taught 
them that an agricultural community is more easily gov- 
erned than a mercantile or warlike one. 

Landed property is held in clans or families as much 
as possible, but it is not entailed, nor are very large 
estates frequent. The land is held as a freehold so long, 
as the sovereign receives his rent, which is estimated at 
about one-tenth of the produce ; and the proprietors 
record their names in the district magistrate's ofiice as 
responsible for the tax, feeling themselves secure in the 
possession while the tax is paid. The paternal estate, 
and the houses upon it, descend to the eldest son. 
Daughters never inherit, nor can an adopted son suc- 
ceed, or enter into possession. 

It is said that the Chinese are rather gardeners than 
farmers. Their agricultural utensils are few and simple, 
and are probably now made similar to those used cen- 
turies ago : the edge of the large wooden hoe is faced 
with iron; the plough is made of wood, excepting the 



144 AROUND THE WORLD. 

share, wliicli is of iron, and lies so fiat tliat it cannot 
penetrate tlie ground but a few inches ; the harrow is a 
heav}^ stick armed with a single row of stout wooden 
teeth, and furnished with a framework of a triangular 
form, on which the driver sits to guide it. 

Wheat, barley, millet, and rice, are planted in rows, 
which is thought to produce better crops than when 
sown broadcast. Our American farmers would despair 
if they were obliged to transplant wheat, barley, and 
rice crops from bed to bed, and spear by spear; they 
would be discouraged if even they had to water it once 
or twice during its growth. It would be left to rot in 
the field if they were denied a reaper, or at least a cradle 
or scjtfhe ; it would waste in the barn or stack if they 
could not procure a thrashing-machine or fanning-mill. 
Here, on the other hand, each blade of grain is removed 
to a new bed, and, from its planting until its ripening, 
it is watered once a day. When it is gathered, the seeds 
are separated from the husk by hand ; notwithstanding 
this vast labor, rice is the chief production, and the prin- 
cipal food of all the Asiatic races, constituting more than 
one-half the |)023ulation of the globe. 

The plan of irrigation is simple, but it requires an 
immense amount of labor and toil. In some places pools 
are made in level fields to receive the water, which is 
lifted from deep wells by means of a sweep or heavy 
pole stationed ui)on a long post set in the ground ; the 
sweep is balanced by a weight on one end, and the 
bucket on the other. By this method water is rapidly 
drawn and poured into little furrows, through which it 



CHINESE INDUSTRY. 145 

iinds its way over the ground. Wheels of various sorts 
are also contrived to draw water, some worked by human 
toil and others by cattle. The wheel is erected in a 
frame, some five or six feet above the top of the well, 
with a rope sufficiently long to reach the bottom, and 
reeved through a wheel ; on one end of the rope is fast- 
ened a large leather bucket, and to the other the cattle 
are attached. By this method of drawing water three 
persons are required, two to handle the bucket and one 
to drive the team. Tiiere is another peculiar arrange- 
ment by which they draw water, which consists of a 
kind of a box-trough with an axle, two men turning 
with their feet, as if in a tread-mill, and is commonly 
used for slight elevations. The chain of paddles revolves 
around two axles — one at the bottom of the well and one 
at the top ; in construction it resembles a flour-elevator, 
and raises the water in the same manner. Comparatively 
few animals, with carts, are used to convey water upon 
the land. A more common plan of irrigation is to take 
advantage of a natural brooklet flowing down a hill-side, 
and conduct the water from one plat to another till it 
has flowed over the whole. It is. where such water- 
privileges offer that the terrace cultivation is often seen. 
The appearance of a hill-side thus graduated into small 
ledges is beautiful to look upon ; each plat is divided 
by a bank, serving the triple purpose of fence, path, and 
dike ; wherever the soil is not watered the vegetation is 
languid and often dead. 

The buffalo is most used in the rice-fields, and the ox 
and the ass in dry ploughing ; horses, mules, cows, and 



146 AROUND THE WORLD. 

even goats, likewise render service to the farmer in vari- 
ous ways, and tlie different animals I have often seen 
yoked together. The Chinese manure the plant rather 
than the ground. The manure is gathered where cows 
have been, made into flat cakes, and plastered upon some 
of the houses in country towns to dry^ and is afterward 
piled in cords; whether it was being prepared for the 
ground, or for some other purpose, I was at a loss to 
know. I saw it not only in China, but also in Japan 
and India, giving employment to thousands of people. 
We saw it plastered up both on the common country- 
houses and on fences. In addition to these flat cakes, 
plastered up in every conceivable place, other substances 
are gathered, as hair from the barbers'-shops, exploded 
fire-crackers, sweepings from the streets, lime and plaster 
from old buildings, soot, bones, fish, leaves, and the mud 
from the bottom of canals, which are decomposed and 
used for fertilizing the soil ; vegetable rubbish is also 
collected in piles, covered with turf, and then burned. 

The ripe grain is commonly cut with bill-hooks, or 
pulled up by the roots ; scythes and cradles are not in 
use. Rice-straw is made into brooms and brushes. The 
rice-heads are stripped from the straw, and put into a 
large stone vessel and pounded with billets of wood to 
disconnect the hulls from the grain. Some of the larger 
farmers have thrashing-floors, which are made of a mixt- 
ure of sand and cement, well pounded, upon an inclined 
surface inclosed by a curb ; this, with proper care, it is 
said, will last for many years, and is used in some of the 
larger villages foi* thrashing out peas, rice, and mustard- 



CHINESE INDUSTRY. 147 

seed. The great cotton district is the valley of the 
Yang-tse-kiang Kiver, and the two varieties, white and 
yellow, grow side by side. After the cotton has been 
gathered and housed, the seeds are separated by a wheel 
turning two rollers, and the cotton is then sold by each 
farmer to merchants in the towns, a portion being kept 
for weaving at home. Spinning-wheels and looms are 
common articles of furniture in the houses of the Chinese 
peasantry. 

Many plants are cultivated for their oil, to be used 
in the arts as well as in cooking. The tallow-tiee, com- 
mon all over the eastern part of China, is, when fully 
grown, a beautiful tree. The seeds are formed in clus- 
ters like small berries, and when ripe are covered with 
pure white tallow; the whole is then sifted on a hot 
sieve, by which process the tallow is separated from the 
kernels. The candles made from the substance procured 
from the tallow-tree are said to be of an excellent qual- 
ity. The camphor-tree is also found in China, and af- 
fords both timber and gum. The tree grows very large^ 
and furnishes excellent planks and beams for building 
houses and vessels, and making trunks and other arti- 
cles. Foreigners, in visiting China, frequently purchase 
trunks made of camphor-wood. I bought two trunks, 
with brass trimmings, about three feet long, eighteen 
inches high, and twenty inches in width, which cost two 
dollars apiece. I filled them with china-ware, and made 
a special shipment of them by a sailing-vessel to America. 
The cassia-tree also grows in this country, and its dried 
bark affords the principal part of that spice used in the 



148 AROUND THE WORLD. 

United States. It is said that the bark is stripped from 
the twigs by running a knife along the branches and 
gradually loosening it, and it is then dried into quill- 
shaped rolls, in which form it comes to market. The 
pulpy substance which is found in the pods is also col- 
lected, and sold under the name of cassia-buds, being 
applied to the same purposes as the bark. 

Among the industrial arts of the Chinese, the manu- 
facturing of silk and embroidery is a specialty. Raw 
silk is an article of sale in the market of Canton, and 
is largely exported to foreign countries to be woven into 
cloth. The loom in China is worked by two persons, 
one of whom sits on to^D of the frame, where he pulls the 
treadles and assists in changing the various parts of the 
machine. The workmen imitate almost any pattern, ex-' 
celling particularly in crapes, and flowered satins and 
damasks. Silk in China is only worn by the higher 
class; the common people wear pongee and nankeen, 
which they frequently dye black or blue. 

The skill of the Chinese in embroidering is well 
known the world over, and the demand for such work, 
to ornament furniture, adorn ladies' dresses, for embel- 
lishing purses, shoes, caps, fans, and other appendages of 
the dress of both sexes, and for working shawls, table- 
covers, etc., for exportation, furnishes employment to 
thousands of both men and women. In many of the 
stores in Canton I saw the occupants sitting flat upon 
the floor working upon a small frame, with the cloth 
stretched out upon it. All the work is done by the 
needle, without tlie aid of machinery. Books are pre- 



CHINESE INDUSTRY. I49 

pared for the use of embroiderers, containing patterns 
for them to imitate. Gold and silver thread is occasion- 
ally added to impart a lustre to the figures on caps, 
purses, and ladies' shoes. A branch of the embroiderer's 
art consists in the formation of tassels and twisted cords ; 
spangles are also made by this branch in every possible 
shape and form. The mode of embroidery seems to have 
been known among the Hebrews, and even among the 
Israelites, where it is spoken of in Exodus xxxv. 35 : 
"Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all 
manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning 
workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in pur- 
ple, in scarlet, and in fine linen." 

The Chinese are not entirely ignorant of the laws 
of Moses, and of the prophets ; but of Christ, and the 
teachings of his glorious gospel, they have but little or 
no knowledge. Almost the last words uttered by the 
lips of our Saviour when he was upon earth, were, " Go 
ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every 
creature." Shortly after his ascension his principal dis- 
ciples branched ofi:* from Jerusalem, some to the north, 
to the south, to the west, and to the east ; but how little 
has been done for the salvation of China, compared with 
what remains to be done ! The labor hitherto has been 
chiefly preparatory; the time has now arrived for putting 
forth direct efforts on a large scale for the evangelization 
of the people. This enterprise demands comprehensive 
views and plans ; a large amount of faith, prayer, zeal, 
liberal giving, and a greater number of laborers. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

HONa-KOI^G TO CEYLON. 

December QtJi. — The climate of Houg-Kong is con- 
sidered superior to that of most other places situated 
within the tropics. It is generally healthy as a resi- 
dence for foreigners, but it has oT)tained a bad reputa- 
tion from the numerous deaths occurring in 1842, at 
which time a large part of the population died. Subse- 
quent years, however, have shown that, with proper care, 
avoiding the sun in the heat of the day and keeping out 
of the evening dews, as good a degree of health can be 
enjoyed here as in most other places. The thermometer 
during the winter months stands on an average at from 
50° to 60°, and in the summer months at 80° to 90°. 
But at Canton, which is situated farther north, the 
weather is at least ten degrees colder. 

December ^th. — Inasmuch as the island of Hong-Kong 
is so rough and mountainous, supplies are chiefly brought 
from the mainland opposite, where the country is very 
productive, and ample demand is made for all the pro- 
visions it can furnish. Three or four newspapers are 
published here. There are several flourishing institu- 
tions, namely, the Medical Missionary Society, the Sea- 
men's and Military Hospitals, the chapel and school of 
the London Missionary Society ; the Government-House, 



HONO-KONQ TO CEYLON. 151 

jail, and exchange, are among tlie principal edifices in 
the town. 

December Sth. — The English Governor has estab- 
lished a system of schools of different grades in Hong- 
Kong. These schools are well conducted, and mostly 
filled with Chinese scholars, who are taught both in 
English and Chinese literature. To-day, among other 
things, we purchased a pair of Chinese vases, and made 
a special shipment of them through the house of Kussell 
& Co., by the sailing-ship Pilgrim, which is expected to 
arrive in New York in about four months from this 
date. 

December 9th. — To-day, at twelve o'clock, we take 
passage at Hong-Kong on the English mail-ship Gol- 
conda. Captain Anderson, for Ceylon, stopping at Singa- 
pore and Penang; sailing distance thirty-one hundred 
and thirty-five miles, fare one hundred and seventy-five 
dollars each. The Golconda is built of iron, of two 
thousand tons' capacity, propelled by a stern-screw, and 
full rigged, belonging to the fleet of the Peninsula & 
Oriental Company. We have in company fourteen first- 
class passengers, among whom are Sir Edward Dilks 
and Mr. Fowler, members of the British Parliament. 
About two hours after leaving port our ship is plough- 
ing through the China Sea, with all sail set, running 
before a stiff monsoon. 

December 10th. — China Sea. Weather clear, wind 
northeast. Thermometer 75°. Course south by west; 
latitude 18° 11' north, longitude 113° 49' east. Distance 
run, from yesterday 12 m. up to 12 m. to-day, two hun- 



152 AROUND THE WORLD. 

dred and forty-six miles. We have been running since 
leaving port under full sail before the monsoon, which 
may be called the trade-wind. The monsoon has a ve- 
locity of from seven to eight knots, and is said to blow 
constantly both up and down the China Sea — from 
March to November from the equator, and the following 
six months toward the equator — and it generally ex- 
tends about a thousand miles on each side of the equa- 
tor, and vice versa. 

A few remarks on the marine barometer may be use- 
ful. It is said that there is no part of the world where 
this valuable instrument acts so truly as near the equa- 
tor, for it gives certain indications of approaching gales 
by a rapid fall of the mercury, and it often does this 
when the weather is perfectly clear and without a visi- 
ble cloud. It is closely watched by the ship's officers, 
and its warnings are never disregarded. 

December 11th. — China Sea. Weather clear. Ther- 
mometer 78°. Course south by west; latitude 14° 20' 
north, longitude 111° 41' east. Distance run, up to 12 
M., two hundred and seventy-two miles. Ship under full 
sail, running before the monsoon. The China Sea is 
very difficult to navigate. Captain Anderson is a faith- 
ful officer, and was all last night upon the bridge on the 
lookout for sunken reefs, and yet we are over one hun- 
dred miles from land. Many sailing-ships have been 
wrecked on these blind ledges of rocks. We are now 
not far from the Philippine Islands. 

December 12th. — China Sea. This being the Sabbath, 
divine service was omitted on account of the heavy sea. 



HONG-KONG TO CEYLON. I53 

Weather clear. Thermometer 77°. Course south hy 
west; latitude 10° 13' north, longitude 109° 28' east. 
Distance run, up to 12 m., two hundred and eighty-three 
miles ; ship running under full press of canvas before 
the monsoon. This afternoon we spoke an American 
merchantman, under reefed topsails, homeward bound 
laden with tea. 

December IMli. — China Sea. Weather clear. Ther- 
mometer 80°. Course south by west, and ship running 
before the monsoon under fore and main topsails ; sea 
high, and occasionally one sweeps the decks. Latitude 
6° 1' north, longitude 104° 44' east. Distance run, up 
to 12 M., three hundred and three miles. 

December l^tli. — China Sea. Weather rainy. Ther- 
mometer 81°. Course south by west, and ship scudding 
under fore and main topsails ; sea running very high, and 
at intervals a heavy wave comes bounding over the quar- 
ter-deck, the passengers running hither and thither, some 
grasping the rigging, others holding fast to stanchions 
to keep on their feet ; and, while taking dinner, the shijD 
gave a lee-lurch, as old sailors call it, when the dishes 
and crockery upon the table collided and broke up like 
pipe-stems. We arrive at Singapore about midnight, 
having been live and a half days on the passage from 
Hong-Kong, and without regret we say farewell to the 
China Sea. Captain Anderson informs us that our pas- 
sage was a favorable one, having had the monsoon wdth 
us ; but that in going up the sea, against both wind and 
current, the voyage is much longer, and often the waters 

more turbulent. 
11 



154 



AROI/NJJ THE WORLD. 



December loth, — Singapore is an island, about sixty 
miles in circumference, situated near the mainland, and 
its southern border is about thirty miles north of the 
equator. It has a population of one hundred and sixty- 
five thousand, which is rapidly increasing. The harbor 
is excellent for shipping, being land-locked on every side 






SINGAPORE. 



by high bluffs. The steamship companies have good 
docks erected, on which is a large supply of coals piled 
up and housed over. Singapore is a coaling-depot for 
all steamers, and the coal is brought mostly from Eng- 
land around by the w^ay of the Cape of Good Hope in 
sailing-ships. It is in reality the touching-place for all 



HONG-KONG TO CEYLON. I55 

steamers wliich pass through the straits of Malacca, or 
from whatever quarter they may come. Constant com- 
munication is kept up with the rest of the world by 
almost daily arrivals of both steam and sailing ships. 
Singaj^ore is an English colony, and is not an undesirable 
place for residence, being on the great highway of the 
nations east and west. Its chief attractions consist in 
its delightful climate and its rare productions. It enjoys 
perpetual summer, and the atmosphere being moistened 
by the sea-breeze, and the frequent showers with which 
it is visited at all seasons, the heat is never oppressive, 
the thermometer seldom rising above 90° and rarely 
going below 70°. The island itself surpasses, in the 
variety and richness of its vegetable growth, all my ex- 
pectations. In riding through the country, we pass over 
delightful macadamized roads, made at the expense of 
the English colonists, overshadowed by the growth of 
large evergreen trees. The pineapple grows here with 
great luxuriance, the fruit of enormous size, the largest 
of which can be bought for one dollar a hundred ; the 
banana is also very plentiful, and almost every other 
kind of fruit and nut of a tropical nature grows here. 
One of the most conspicuous trees upon the island is the 
fan-palm, which is a large tree, straight as a reed ; the 
top is in the shape of a fan, as flat as if it had been 
placed in a press, while the circle of the leaves alone on 
the larger trees is at least twenty feet in diameter, and 
resembles the tail of a peacock when fully spread. We 
rode out to the botanical garden or park, which is well 
laid out and kept filled with a great variety of trees and 



156 AROUND THE WORLD, 

plants from different climes. One cannot go amiss in 
Singapore in looking over this beautifnl island, wliicli is 
covered with what seems a spontaneous growth of all 
that is graceful and attractive in verdure and vegetation. 
The jungle and the forest abound in different kinds of 
birds of the ricliest plumage, tribes of monkeys chatter 
among the branches of the trees, and occasionally a tiger 
makes Ms appearance, when hard pressed for something 
to eat, but we were not fortunate enough to see one of 
tMs ferocious tribe. 

Singapore for its size has a more mixed population than 
any other city in the world, almost every nation being rep- 
resented, but the Malays are the most numerous. Here 
we saw humanity in its primitive state: some of the 
natives were as naked as wlien tkey were born, while 
others wore only a tbin piece of muslin cloth, a few 
inches in width, across the loins. The costume of the 
ordinary (or probably lower) class of females consisted 
of a loose skirt of Turkish red, with a thin white or 
yellow shawl thrown carelessly over one shoulder; they 
were bareheaded and barefooted, witb rings u23on their 
toes and bracelets around the ankles, three rings in each 
ear, and one ring, about the size in circumference of a 
silver dollar, in the nose, and having their long, black, 
glossy hair trimmed with rich ornaments. In stature they 
are under the ordinary size, with small features, mild 
countenances, and are rather an attractive race of people, 
nearly as dark as the negro. These people seemingly 
live a life of idleness ; it costs them little or nothing for 
clothing, and Nature has abundantly supplied them with 



IIONG-KONO TO CEYLON. I57 

all tlie spices, nuts, and delicious fruits imaginable, which 
require little or no cultivation ; and their rivers and bays 
are filled with a variety of fine fish, \\'hich are taken 
either with the hook and line or the net, with the least 
possible labor. The dense forests abound in wild game, 
which is tame compared with that in civilized coun- 
tries, for the natives use no fire-arms ; all wild game is 
taken by snares, traps, nets, and the bow and arrow. 
By the common people very little regard is paid to the 
cultivation of the soil. 

Singapore was once a very important missionary sta- 
tion, not so much, however, in its relation to the perma- 
nent population of the place as on account of its offering 
an opportunity to exert an influence upon China and 
other neighboring countries. It served as a foothold, or 
standing-place, on which to operate while the Celestial 
EmjDire was closed to foreigners. At one time there 
were as many as thirty missionaries upon this island, 
but just as soon as the Chinese Empire was thrown open 
the force moved on, and now there are only some two 
or three remaining. 

The European dwellings in the city do not materially 
differ from those in the Chinese concessions, while the 
huts of the natives, in some places, are raised on stakes 
four or ^\^ feet above the ground, for the purpose of 
drainage, and for better security against poisonous rep- 
tiles and beasts of prey. 

December lQ>tIi. — There are one or two very good 
hotels in Singapore. The Hotel de I'Europe is hand- 
somely situated on the margin of the bay, overlooking 



158 AROUND TEE WORLD. 

the shipping in the harbor. Very good rooms can "be 
obtained at three dollars per day ; but, during our stay 
of two days, we preferred to stop overnight on shipboard, 
where we had excellent accommodations, Captain An- 
derson doing everything possible for the comfort and 
enjoyment of his passengers. We devoted some time to 
shopping, occasionally buying small articles of native 
manufacture. Some of the stores were filled with rare 
curiosities. Just before our ship sailed, scores of the 
natives came on board offering canes, embroidery- work, 
sea-shells, and a variety of other things, for sale, for 
which they at first often asked more than double what 
they would finally take. 

At four o'clock in the afternoon the ship's moorings 
are cast off from the dock, and in a few moments we are 
steaming out of the harbor, passing through groups of 
smaller islands clad with brushwood and green foliage, 
and occasionally gardens of vegetation most beautiful 
to behold, and hundreds of boats filled with men and 
women taking fish. After leaving this small cluster of 
islands we enter the straits of Malacca, through which 
channel all ships sailing by the way of the Cape of Good 
Hope go to China. The British Government has, with 
its usual sagacity, secured the ancient town of Malacca 
on the Malay Peninsula. The straits are four hundred 
miles long, and here about seven miles wide, but in some 
places more than twice this width. 

December 17 th. — We were all day passing through 
the Malacca Straits; the weather is most delightful, and 
the sea. as smooth as a pond. In looking through the 



HONG-KONG TO (lEYLON. 159 

glass we could see the mainland of Malacca on one side, 
and the island of Sumatra on the other. Through the 
day we passed quite a number of large ships. 

December V^tli. — This morning early we arrive at 
Penang, having been fully forty hours on our passage 
from Singapore. The native boats made a raid upon 
the passengers by the time the ship's anchor touched 
bottom ; Ave finally secured a small boat and went on 
shore, where we found carriages in readiness to convey 
the passengers either to the hotels or over the island. 
We hired a conveyance, and rode out to the mountains; 
here we saw a waterfall, which the natives consider the 
most interesting natural curiosity in the island. This 
cascade has its source from the summit of the mountains, 
some two thousand feet above the sea. After making a 
considerable ascent, we reached a brawling torrent, and 
followed its bank under the shade of jijalm and spice 
trees till we came to a small Hindoo temple, adorned 
with a rustic veranda of palm-bushes, but looking rather 
dilapidated in consequence of its great antiquity. Here 
we were welcomed by the Brahman priest, who expected 
a little money to assist in keeping the temple in repair. 
We rested a while under a shade-tree, and then our valet 
conducted us to an adjoining wood to gather nutmegs 
and cloves. Ascending from here some two or three 
hundred feet, over natural stone steps, ^ve came to the 
basin into which the torrent plunges, for a hundred feet 
or more, breaking into sparkling jets as it dashes against 
the granite rocks. Descending to the plain, where we 
had left our carriage, we found that our attendants had 



1(30 AEOUI^^D THE WORLD. 

spread uj)oii a tal)]e boiled chickens, boiled eggs, and 
cold ham, for those who wished a good lunch. 

Penang is an island, situated about a mile from the 
mainland, and is about the size of Staten Island in the 
bay of New York. It is broken and mountainous ; some 
parts are heavily timbered, and the brushwood so thick 
that it cannot be penetrated. Here we had pointed out 
to us the snake-grass, w^hich is a small spear, and on 
which the snakes subsist. It is said that this island 
abounds with serpents and other reptiles of a dangerous 
character. A snake twenty-six feet in length was capt- 
ured in the jungle last week, and some have been taken 
much larger. 

On all these islands near the equator there is a great 
amount of rainfall. When the sunny sky is perfectly 
clear, drops of rain will come down of the size of peas, 
and then it will stop for the space of a few hours. In 
consequence of the hot weather, shrubbery, vegetation, 
and wooded thickets, grovf much more thriftily than in 
colder climates. 

The city of Penang is even more beautiful, at least 
some 23arts of it, than Singapore, and the countiy as- 
sumes the same luxuriant, tropical appearance, abound- 
ing in spice, palm, and cocoanut groves. Just across the 
river from here, about one mile distant on the mainland, 
there is a fearful war raging between the English colo- 
nists and the natives. After rambling all the forenoon 
we returned on board quite fatigued, but what we had 
seen was most interesting. 

At four o'clock in the afternoon we resume our jour- 



HONG-KONG TO GEYLON. 



161 



ney, en route for Ceylon. As we are steaming out of tlie 
harbor we pass by a large emigrant-sbip, loaded witb 
coolies, supposed to be bound for the West Indies. The 
weather is clear, and the sea smooth. 

December YMli. — This morning we find ourselves on 
the great Indian Ocean. This being the Sabbath, divine 
service was administeied in the English form by Captain 




NATIVE OF SAIGON. 



Grant, one of the passengers, of the English Eoyal Navy. 
On shipboard, in the English Navy, the administration 
of divine service, at least once on every Sabbath, is made 
a compulsory duty. 

Last evening we passed over the ninety-eighth me- 
ridian of east longitude, which brings us on a direct line 
over the city of New York. The sky is clouded over 
and at intervals raining; wind light. Thermometer 76°. 



162 AROUND TEE WORLD. 

Ship's course west by nortli; latitude 5° 59' nortli, lon- 
gitude 96° 44' east. Distance run, up to 12 m., two hun- 
dred and thirty-two miles. This morning early, while 
Mrs. Winants was dressing, she ordered the side-port 
connected with the state-room to be opened, in order to 
obtain fresh air, and a few moments after one single 
sea rushed through and completely flooded the room. 
Toward evening we are in sight of the island of Sumatra,, 
upon which war is and has been raging for the last two 
years, between the Dutch colonists and the natives. 
From reports received the Dutch are getting the worst 
of the fight. 

Decemher '20th. — Indian Ocean. The weather is most 
delio^htful, with little or no wind, and the ocean is as 
smooth as glass. Thermometer 84°. Course west ; lati- 
tude 6° 5' north, longitude 91° 44' east Distance run, 
up to 12 M., two hundred and ninety-eight miles. Our 
crew of sailors and waiters are Malays ; they run up the 
rigging as quickly as monkeys, and are ready at every 
call. Captain Anderson said that he preferred them to 
English seamen, being more easily managed, but they 
cannot endure a cold climate. 

December 21 5^. — Indian Ocean. The weather is clear 
and charming, and the sea is as smooth as a mirror. 
Thermometer 82°. Course west; latitude 6° north, lon- 
gitude 86° 48' east. Distance run, up to 12 m., two hun- 
dred and ninety-nine miles. 

December 2 2d — Indian Ocean. Weather very flne, 
wind light from the northwest, and sea smooth. Ther- 
mometer 82°. Course west ; latitude 6° 7' north, longi- 



HONG-KONG TO CEYLON 103 

tude 82° 21' east. Distance run, up to 12 m., two hun- 
dred and sixty-six miles. 

December 23d — ^This morning early we arrive at Point 
de Galle, Ceylon, having been fourteen days on our pas- 
sage from Hong-Kong. Here we are again surrounded 
by the native boatmen. Their boats are different from 
any that I have yet seen ; the boat itself is some twenty 
feet long, and only two feet in width, and about as deep, 
canoe model, and with two poles about six feet long 
running across the boat, one forward, the other astern, 
attached to a log of the length of the boat to keep the 
craft from turning over; and, instead of rowing in tlie 
ordinary way, one man pulls with a single oar and an- 
other steers the craft with a long sweep. We land at 
the custom-house wharf, where our baggage undergoes a 
slight examination by the officers in charge, and we are 
then driven to the Oriental Hotel ; board seven rupees 
per day. Rupees are the currency of the country, and 
are worth forty-eight cents of American coin each ; they 
are of silver, nearly of the weight and size of the Amer- 
ican half-dollar, and j)ass current throughout the whole 
of British India. 



CHAPTEE XIV. 

CEYLON. 

The island of Ceylon is situated about three hundred 
and iifty miles north of the equator ; its greatest length 
is two hundred and eighty miles, and breadth one hun- 
dred and forty miles. This island constitutes a distinct 
British province, and is under the control and super- 
vision of the British Government. The face of the coun- 
try is mountainous, but the soil is rich in fertility, well 
timbered with a large variety of spice, royal palm, and 
Oriental shade-trees. In the interior of the island agri- 
cultural pursuits are more extensive ; the principal crops 
are coffee and rice, and on some plantations the tea-plant 
is cultivated, but does not thrive as in colder climates. 
Nearly all kinds of vegetables are raised in every part 
of the island. Wild beasts are numerous; leopards, 
eleph;mts, tigers, and a variety of smaller animals, are 
captured upon the island. 

The natives are almost as dark as the West India 
negro, with small features, long, glossy-black hair, and 
thin lips, possessing a mild and inoffensive countenance, 
and pleasant manners ; even the most lowly of them, on 
meeting strangers, will make a graceful bow. 

There is only about ^ve degrees' difference in the cli- 
mate between summer and winter : the thermometer 



CEYLON. 1(^5 

during the winter, on an average, in the shade, stands 
at about 85°, and in the summer it rarely rises above 
90°. During our sojourn of ten days, the mercury has 
stood at an average of 85° ; I must confess, however, that 
it is rather warm for winter, but during the evenings we 
experienced a soft, gentle breeze from off the sea, and 
found a blanket comfortable. During the day, from ten 
to four o'clock, it is desirable to keep in the shade and 
I'emain quiet, to avoid sunstroke. 

Decemher 2UJi. — To-day in walking out we are be- 
sieged by the natives, who would follow wherever we 
went, enticing us to buy specialties of the country, such 
as turtle-shell-work jewelry, canes, birds, pearls, ivory 
ornaments, and polecats. When we declined to purchase 
at the price asked, they would then say, ''What will 
you give ? " and we generally bought for less than one- 
half the price originally asked. The money-brokers are 
another pest, doing their official business on the street, 
and following the stranger from pillar to post. Scores 
of them kept on our track, day after day, offering rupees 
in exchange for foreign coin. These brokers are very 
shrewd and bright, and could compute the difference 
and the discount in their heads, without pen or pencil, 
quicker than we Americans. 

December 2bt7i. — ^This being Christmas-day, the hotel 
in which we are boarding is beautifully trimmed ; the 
veranda, which reaches the entire length of the building, 
is beautifully decorated with a complete network of ever- 
greens and flowers, the work having been executed the 
evening previous by the natives. From many of the 



166 AROUND THE WORLD. 

public offices and buildings, and the shipping in the 
harbor, the British flag was seen proudly floating to the 
blossom-laden breeze. 

In the forenoon we attended divine service in the 
Protestant Reformed church, which is a neat edifice, and 
beautifully located on an eminence fronting on and over- 
looking the sea. The congregation consisted principally 
of natives, who were neatly clad, and paid marked atten- 
tion to the service. The choir numbers some twenty 
native singers of both sexes, accompanied by an organ, 
the combination producing very pretty music. 

December ^Qth, — This being the Sabbath, we again 
attended at the Protestant Reformed church, both morn- 
and evening. The building was very well filled, princi- 
pally by the native element. They have established a 
mission-school here to educate the young in English, 
which is said to be well conducted, under the auspices 
of English teachers. The school-house is beaatifully 
situated on an eminence under the shade of Oriental 
trees, through which the gentle breezes blow soft and 
fragrant along the coast. 

Deceinber ^^tK — To-day we proposed going on- a visit 
to Kandy — which is situated nearly in the centre of the 
island, and is reached by riding seventy-two miles in a 
heavy coach drawn by four horses, and about forty miles 
by rail in addition — but, as we knew the roads to be 
dusty, and the weather very hot, we declined making 
the excursion. 

Point de Galle is the principal stopping-place for 
steamers going to and from London to India, China, 



CEYLON. X67 

Australia, and many other Eastern and Southern ports, 
and it is also the great central coaling-station. Sailing- 
ships are constantly engaged bringing coal from Eng- 
land, around by the way of the Cape of Good Hope, for 
the use of the numerous steamers stopping at this point. 

The island of Ceylon is conceded by many to be the 
paradise of the world, both in scenery and climate. The 
air is laden with s\veet-scented odors, blowing gently 
from off the spicy forests, and the entire face of the coun- 
try is covered with the royal palm and a great variety 
of tropical fruit-trees. 

December 2Sth. — To-day a native missionary minister 
of the gospel called on me, soliciting a donation to assist 
the mission in the construction of a new school-house. 
He said that he had been converted from Buddhism to 
Christianity when young, and was educated by the mis- 
sionaries for the ministry, and that he had by assiduous 
application brought many of his countrymen to the true 
knowledge of salvation, 

December 29tJi. — Both males and females- go bare- 
footed and bareheaded. Their costume is often so sim- 
ilar that the only way in which they can be distin- 
guished is by their long black hair : the men have theirs 
put up with combs; the women theirs tied in a knot upon 
the top of the head. This afternoon we ride out in the 
country through the heavy forests, which are thickly 
studded v/ith the cocoanut - tree. The coco anut - tree 
is of all palms most deservedly valued, as one of the 
greatest of the many blessings bestowed by a bountiful 
Providence upon the inhabitants of a tropical climate. 



158 AROUND THE WORLD. 

It is a common saying that tlie cocoanut-tree lias ninety- 
nine uses, and tliat tlie hnndredtli cannot be discovered. 
This palm is from sixty to a hundred feet in height, one 
or two feet in diameter, and as straight as a reed ; there 
are no branches upon the trunk of the tree till within a 
few feet of the top, which is crowned with magnificent 
clusters of fruit and leaves, each leaf about fourteen feet 
in length, resembling an enormous feather. It grows 
best on the low, flat grounds that border the sea-coast. 
It is a very prolific tree, bringing forth flowers every 
four or five weeks ; the flowers and the fruit are gener- 
ally to be seen at the same time. Of the roots baskets 
are made ; of the hollowed trunks pipes for leading 
water ; from the leaf coarse sack-cloth is manufactured ; 
the bud is accounted a delicacy for the table ; the leaves 
are used for thatching buildings, for making baskets, 
fences, and children's cradles ; and the nut furnishes the 
chief diet of the Cingalese. The woody ribs upon which 
the leaves grow are formed into a kind of basket-work 
for catching fish, and into brushes and brooms ; when 
the wood is burned, good potash is yielded by the ashes, 
and used by washer-women instead of soap ; the jnice of 
the flower is distilled into a beverage called arrack, the 
excessive drinking of which brings on intoxication ; the 
coarse covering of the nut is stripped off and made into 
cables and rigging for ships, and many other uses. 

The bread-fruit tree is also to be seen intermingled 
with the forests; it is about forty feet high, having a 
trunk much larger than the palm, resembling more the 
oak, with the exception of the leaves, which are much 



CEYLON. 109 

larger than the oak-leaf, and the fruit hangs from the 
branches like apples, but will weigh from eight to ten 
pounds each. The Cingalese are proud of the bread- 
fruit tree, and two or three may always be seen around 
a native cottage, shading it with their prolific 1)ranches. 
It bears fruit in fiYe years, from the branch set out, and 
will continue to bear, even in its wild state, for more 
than half a century. By baking the fruit over a slow 
fire it is made into flour, and then into bread, upon which 
the natives principally subsist, and which is considered 
by them the staff of life. 

There is still another valuable tree, which we see 
growing wild in the forest, called the jaca, and which is 
much larger than the Thread-fruit tree, the trunk being 
from fiYQ to six feet in circumference ; the fruit is oblong 
and large, ten to twelve pounds in weight, and the na- 
tives eat it freely. Many different kinds of spice and 
nut trees may be seen growing wild in the thick forests. 
I am informed that there is not a shrub, tree, or plant, 
growing upon the islands bordering upon the equator, 
that is not of some benefit to the inhabitants. 

Ceylon can well be called the paradise of the world, 
for Providence has provided the people with all luxuries 
imaginable. Besides her forests being filled with wild 
game in abundance, her trees bring forth fruit, both for 
food and beverage ; her rivers and bays are filled with 
a variety of fine fish, all sent by Him who rules over the 
universe, to feed the people in this heathen and far-off 
land. 

December SOth. — This afternoon we took a ride around 

12 



170 



AROUND THE WORLD. 



the bay. We stopped on the way at some of tlie prin- 
cipal bungalows, and also at the Buddhist temple, where 
we were shown the idols and gods which they w^orship. 
There were some eight or ten priests in and around this 
small temjDle, whose dress consisted of a large yellow 
shawl wrapped around the bare body. They were the 
most forlorn specimens of humanity I ever saw, without 




NAUTCH GIRLS. 



shoes or hats, and having their hair shaved close to the 
head. The priests in this country are not allowed to 
marry, or keep concubines. Whenever one of them dies, 
the body is burned upon an altar, and the ashes, put in 
a stone jar, are offered up in sacrifice unto idols. 

December ^Ist. — Whenever we go into the streets, 
either to walk or ride, we are pestered with beggars; 
there seems to be no end of them. This afternoon while 



CEYLON. 171 

riding out, a large canipany of men and boys followed 
tlie carriage for two or three miles ; as one crowd tired 
out, in going through some village, a new set would 
spring up and keep pace with the horses. We saw but 
few women, for they kept more in the huts. As we 
were passing through the woods a guana came out of a 
swamp. This reptile resembles the alligator, excepting 
that it has a tongue like a snake. Those that inhabit 
the swamps and rivers are black, and those living on the 
land are gray; they are often from twelve to fifteen feet 
long. On our return we stopped in a cinnamon-grove, 
a,nd got some bark. 

January 1, 1876. — This is the warmest New-Year's- 
day that I have ever experienced, the thermometer in- 
dicating 86° in the shade. The colonists, and also some 
of the natives, observed it as a general holiday. In walk- 
ing out through the woods, in the cool of the day, we 
came to a very fine bungalow. The gate was open, and 
we concluded to walk in the grounds, where we were 
politely met by a middle-aged gentleman, who, after 
plucking some flowers for us, extended us an invitation 
to go and see his father, to which we gave our consent. 
We found the old gentleman sitting on the front veranda. 
He said he knew that we were Americans ; that he was 
at all times glad to see and talk with people from the 
New World, for he had heard that it was a fine country, 
a,nd it had once been ruled by George Washington, one 
of the greatest statesmen of any age of the world's his- 
tory. He said he was eighty-six years of age, and had 
three sons. I asked him how he liked his queen; he 



172 . AROUND TEE WORLD, 

said that Queen Victoria was a lady of higli -toned char- 
acter, and had been a good ruler, much better than his 
countrymen, who are incapable of governing themselves. 
January ^d. — This morning early the steamship 
Surat, Captain Burn, arrived in port from London, on 
which we engaged passage for Calcutta, distance thirteen 
hundred and thirty miles; fare twenty rupees, or ten 
dollars' each, being probably the cheapest passage in the 
world for so long a distance. But this is easily accounted 
for, as there are some two or three rival lines between 
Ceylon and Calcutta ; the regular fare on certain days, 
when the opposing ships are not in, is one hundred and 
sixty rupees. The Surat is of three thousand tons' bur- 
den, full-rigged, built of iron, propelled by a stern-screw, 
and belongs to the English mail Peninsular and Oriental 
line. After taking tiffin, or lunch, at the hotel, we pay 
our bills and hasten on board. We have in company 
some thirty-five first-class passengers, the most of whom 
were direct from London, en route for Calcutta. 



CHAPTEK XV. 

CEYLOI^ TO CALCUTTA. 

January Sd. — Bay of Bengal. We are all day in 
sight of land, and sailing along the westerly coast of 
Ceylon. The weather is most charming, wind light, and 
sea smooth. Thermometer 80°. Course north by west ; 
latitude 7° 5^ north, longitude 82° 3^ east. Distance run, 
up to 12 M., one hundred and fifty-four miles. 

January Uli. — Bay of Bengal. Weather hne, and 
sea smooth. Thermometer 80°. Course north by west ; 
latitude 10° north, longitude 81° 8^ east. Distance run, 
up to 12 M., two hundred and forty-five miles. 

January ^tli. — This morning early we arrived at Ma- 
dras, India. Our ship dropped anchor about one mile from 
the shore, which is a very rough and dangerous place 
to land. We are carried on shore in a large surf-boat 
manned by fourteen natives, twelve pulling at the oars, 
one steerino^ the boat, and one or two standino^ in readi- 
ness to bale water as it occasionally broke over the bows. 
As the boat approached the sandy beach, we were nearly 
swamped by the angry breakers ; the sailors, in great 
haste, sprang from the boat into the surf, and carried us 
in sedan-chairs upon dry land. At times, when the sea 
is very rough, ships do not venture to land, but both 
freight and passengers are carried to Calcutta. 



174 



AROUND THE WORLD. 



We are now landed on tlie great continent of India^ 
containing a population of over two hundred million 
souls, witli a territory covering one and a half million 
square miles. How strange it seems that this dominion 
of India, with such a large population, can be controlled 
by the far-off island of Great Britain, which contains only 






MADRAS STTRF. 



thirty million ! And yet there is a reason for it : weak 
and ignorant tribes and nations are generally found de- 
pendent on stronger and more enlightened ones, and are 
often absorbed by them. All Christian and prosperous 
nations must expand. If practicable, the expansion will 
be made on adjacent regions ; if not practicable, it will 
then be made in those regions, however distant, which 



CEYLON TO CALGUTIA. 175 

offer the least resistance. The British conquests in India 
are so recent, tliat the civil government can hardly yet 
be said to be consolidated. Within this vast territory 
there are three great presidencies — Madras, Bengal, and 
Bombay. The northern and eastern portions of the ter- 
ritory are divided into provinces. A viceroy, or gov- 
ernor-general, appointed by the Queen of Great Britain 
for four years, resides in Calcutta and administers a form 
of federal government, while each presidency and prov- 
ince has its own local administration. 

We first saw the city of Madras from the sea, and it 
seemed commanding and beautiful, a city of European 
aspect stretching some three or four miles along the 
border of the sandy shore, upon a low and level plain, 
and containing over four hundred thousand 23eople. We 
hasten on and make the best use of our time, by visiting 
some of the principal shops and edifices. We find the 
weather excessively hot, and one day is quite sufficient 
for all that is to be seen. Mr. Fowler, one of the pas- 
sengers, who joined us on shipboard at San Francisco, 
remained over, expecting to sail for Calcutta by the fol- 
lowing ship of this line. At eight o'clock in the evening 
the ship's anchor was vfeighed, and we resumed our jour- 
ney en route for Calcutta. 

January 6th. — Bay of Bengal. Weather fine, wind 
light from the north, and sea smooth. Thermometer 80°. 
Ship's course north by west; latitude 15° 8' north, lon- 
gitude 82° 12' east. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hun- 
dred and sixty-seven miles. 

January 7th.- — Bay of Bengal. Weather fine, sea 



176 AROUND THE WORLD. 

smootli, not a ripple being visible on its surface. Ther- 
mometer 81°. Course north by west; latitude 18° 14' 
north, longitude 85° 14' east. Distance run, up to 12 m., 
two hundred and fifty-four miles. 

January Sth. — Bay of Bengal. The weather charm- 
ing, and the sea is like glass. In the mirror-like waters 
occasionally we see a water-snake swiming playfully over 
the surface near the ship, and it was most amusing to 
hoar some of the more timid lady j^assengers order the 
waiters to close the outside ports of their staterooms, 
lest a snake should crawl up the ship's side and take 
possession ! Thermometer 80°. Course west-northwest ; 
latitude 21° 24' north, longitude Sd° 8' east. Distance 
run, up to 12 m., two hundred and sixty-four miles. 

We met quite a number of sailing-ships on their pas- 
sage, going both into and out of Calcutta, one of whose 
decks was literally crow^led with coolies, destined as ^vas 
supposed to servitude in some foreign country. This 
afternoon at two o'clock the ship came to anchor in the 
mouth of the Hoogly Biver, abreast of Tiger Island, wait- 
ing for the flood-tide. It is said that this large and 
lonely island, covered with brushwood, abounds with 
tigers and other beasts of prey. There is a monument 
on the island marking the spot where a young woman 
was carried off by a tiger. A vessel from America 
was detained by the tide, as often happens at this point, 
and a number of the passengers concluded to go on shore. 
While they were strolling in the thicket, a lady, one of 
the party, strayed a little from the rest of the company, 
when presently a scream from the woman was lieard ; 



CEYLON TO CALCUTTA. 177 

Ler companions ran to her assistance, but arrived only 
in time to see lier carried off by a tiger. Some of our 
passeDgers proposed taking the ship's gig and going 
ashore on the opposite side of the river from Tiger 
Island, but both Captain Burn and the ship's pilot ad- 
vised us not to venture, for fear of injury from the v^ild 
animals infesting the jungles. 

January ^tJi. — Calcutta is situated on the Hoogly 
Eiver, about one hundred miles from its mouth ; the 
Hoogly is one of the principal outlets of the Ganges. 
This morning at seven o'clock the ship's anchor was 
raised, and we resumed our course for Calcutta. In a few 
minutes after getting under way,' our ship collided with 
a native junk, and before the ship's life-boat could be 
lowered from the davits the little craft had sunk to the 
bottom, leaving its crew of fifteen sailors floating upon 
the surface of the ^vater. Fortunately they were all res- 
cued from a watery grave. When they were brought 
on deck, the ship's officers ordered rice for their break- 
fast. In consequence of the detention caused by this 
accident, our steamer lost the flood-tide, and at twelve 
o'clock anchored, where we had to remain till the next 
morning for the high tide, in order to cross the bar. 

January lOth. — This morning at ten o'clock the ship 
again got under way. Most of the passengers were 
anxious to get to Calcutta, but we were not so much 
limited in time, and, being in smooth water, with de- 
lightful scenery on both sides of the river, felt that 
we were quite as well off on shipboard, with a bountiful 
table, as we probably would be in any other place. 



178 AROUND THE WOULD. 

The lower parts of the banks of the Hoogly Eiver are 
co\^ered with wild jungles, through which are scattered, 
sometimes in groves, the cocoanut and other palms, the 
whole landscape assuming a strictly Oriental aspect. 
The river is a dangerous one, and can only be navigated 
by daylight, on account of the numerous sand-banks^ 
which shift during every heavy freshet. 

As we approach the city of Calcutta, the signs of 
cultivation become more frequent. For several miles 
the river on either side is lined with rick plantations 
and costly residences, mingled with Oriental shade-trees, 
and surrounded by magnificent vegetable and flower 
gardens. 

Tn sight of Calcutta, on the opposite side of the river^ 
is situated the |)alace of the ex-King of Oude, who was 
dethroned by the East India Company, and brought to 
Calcutta as a prisoner of state. He was allowed to 
retain a great part of his wealth. The buildings are very 
pretty, extending a long distance upon the river-banks ; 
kere stands kis temple, tke dome of wkick is covered 
witk burnished gold, dazzling to look upon in tke bright 
sunlight. We were detained for nearly two hours oppo- 
site his grounds, partly in getting the ship into the dock, 
and partly in waiting for the custom-house officials, and 
had abundance of time to examine the beauties of the 
place. At* length the custom-house officers came on 
board, and examined the passengers' trunks. We did 
not wait for tke ship to get alongside the wharf, l)ut 
took a native craft. As we approacked tke skore, we 
saw gatkered together crowds of people; all nations and 



CEYLON TO CALCUTTA. I79 

all costumes seemed to be I'epresented, and by the time 
our boat reached the landing scores of them made a rush 
for our baggage, and it was necessary for us to shout, 
and fight our way through the crowd the best we could 
to prevent it from being carried off. Before leaving the 
ship we made a bargain, in plain English, as to what the 
price should be to carry us on shore, and our trunks up 
the bank, about fifty feet distant, to the gJcarries, or car- 
riages, for which the carriers demanded additional pay. 
I refused in the most emphatic manner to pay any more 
than the sum agreed upon, and, if they would carry the 
trunks up the bank and place them on the gharry^ I 
should pay them, but not before. After all had been 
done, more than a dozen gathered around, each one de- 
manding enough for all, whether he had touched our 
baggage or not. At length I settled with the man with 
whom I had made the bargain, by handing him what I 
thought right, and told the noisy crowd to look to him 
for their dues. 

We were driven to the Great Eastern Hotel, where 
we arrived at six o'clock in the afternoon, and were fur- 
nished with good rooms for six rupees per day for each 
person. In addition to the two rooms which we occu- 
pied, we had a bath-room, which is desirable in a hot 
climate. 

The Great Eastern is run by a company, and is the 
largest hotel in Calcutta. The table was supplied with 
the most delicious fruits, and all the necessaries of life 
in abundance. The servants were so numerous that they 
were often in each other's way. "With their dusky forms, 



180 AROUND THE WORLD. 

clothed in white from head to foot, moving about with- 
out shoes, and uttering not a word, they seemed like so 
many lost spirits. When waiting on us at table, they 
wore white-muslin hats, with immense brims covered 
with the same material ; when we retired at night we 
signified to them, as plainly as we could, that their 
duties for the day were over, and that we no longer re- 
quired their services. Closing the door, we fancied that 
we had seen the last of them for the night ; but scarcely 
had we turned round when the same dark ghosts in 
white stood before us, and when I awoke in the morn- 
ing, on opening the door, the same forms were lying on 
the floor, awaiting orders for the day. 



CHAPTEE XVI. 

CALCUTTA. 

January Wth. — The city of Calcutta is pleasantly 
situated on tlie banks of tLe Hoogly Eiver, about one 
hundred miles from the ocean. It contains some seven 
hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants, and is conceded 
to be the finest city in the East. Some of the largest and 
finest sailing-ships in the world enter her port, and her 
commerce is with all the earth. Calcutta may be called 
the European capital of Asia, for it has been the seat of 
the British Empire in the East for more than a century, 
and the impress of British energy and influence is seen 
and felt on every hand. 

By many Calcutta is regarded as a city of palaces. 
Here are the residences of the merchants, and those con- 
nected with the civil and military service, whose dwell- 
ings may in truth be called palaces, standing as they do 
in the midst of squares, surroundeci by a profusion of 
trees, shrubs, and flowers. Some of the dwellings are 
massive, but not architecturally beautiful. The acacia, 
maDgo, bamboo, and the stately palm — the glory of the 
tropics — are seen in the gardens ; but that part of Cal- 
cutta occupied by the natives presents a dingy and dirty 
appearance, and it would be a most difficult matter to 
keep it otherwise, for the streets are narrow and literally 



182 AROUND THE WORLD. 

filled with people. In that part occupied by Europeans, 
however, tlie streets are beautifully macadamized and 
bordered with shade-trees. A large number of coolies 
are employed in watering the streets, each waterman 
having, instead of a cart, a goatskin shaped like an im- 
mense bottle left open at the neck, and suspended by a 
strap over the shoulders of the coolie, who, seizing the 
neck with one hand, throws the water hither and thither, 
transformino; the dust into mud. 

The city of Calcutta has undergone many vicissitudes, 
and witnessed many exciting and bloody events. Dur- 
ing the conflict of 1756, between the Hindoos and the 
English, when Fort William was taken by Surajah 
Dowlah, Nabob of Bengal, a feeble garrison being left 
to defend the fort after the Governor and others had 
escaped to the ships, the prisoners, one hundred and 
forty-six in number, were imprisoned in a room only 
eighteen feet square, with two small windows (what is 
now known the world over as the Black Hole of Cal- 
cutta). On the 18th of June, during a sultry night, they 
were shut up without water or food, or any means of 
relief Mr. Holwell, an English oflicer, and one of the 
unfortunate inmates, has described in detail the horrors 
of that fatal night, v>^hich are scarcely paralleled in the 
annals of human misery. Every moment added to their 
distress, but all attempts to obtain relief were in vain. 
Messengers were sent to the nabob to inform him of 
the terrible sufferings of the prisoners, and the answer 
came back that he was asleep and his attendants dared 
not wake him, fearing that, if disturbed, he might treat 



CALCUTTA. 133 

his captives with still greater inhumanity. The air of 
the prison soon became pestilential, j)roduciDg at every 
respiration of the poor wretches a feeling of suffocation ; 
the perspiration flowed in streams, and they were tor- 
mented with the most burning thirst. As the suffei'ers 
grew weaker, they began to be squeezed or trampled to 
death. Loud shouts were raised for water, and when 
the Hindoo soldiers without heard their cries, they 
brought lights to witness their sufferings and mock at 
them. At about eleven o'clock the prisoners began to 
die fast ; six of Howell's intimate friends expired at his 
feet, and were trampled upon by the survivors. A great 
proportion were raving or delirious ; some uttered inco- 
herent prayers, others the most frightful blasphemies. 
They endeavored by their cries to induce the guards to 
fire the prison, and put an end to their sufferings, but 
without effect. When day dawned upon that fatal night, 
the few prisoners who had not died were either raving 
mad or insensible. At six in the morning the nabob 
made his appearance, and, on his learning the events of 
the night, he gave orders to unbar the fatal door, and 
out of the one hundred and forty-six captives only 
twenty-three ghastly forms had just life enough left to 
crawl from the dark hole when the door was opened ; 
the remaining one hundred and twenty- three lay piled 
upon the floor, a heap of putrid corpses. No scene con- 
nected with Calcutta is more indelibly graven on the 
memory of the world than this. 

After Mr. Howell had been revived by the fresh air, 
the nabob ordered for him a seat and a cup of water, but 



184 AROUND THE WORLD. 

showed no other mark of sympathy, and immediately 
commenced a strict inquiry about the supposed treasure 
hid in some part of the fort which had been taken on 
the previous day. Mr. Howell tried to explain to him 
that he had no knowledge of the money, but rather sup- 
posed the Governor had taken the treasure on board the 
ships, which had a tendency to reconcile the nabob, so 
he sent Mr. Howell, with the other surviving prisoners, 
to Moorshedabad. During the voyage they suffered 
severely, their bodies being covered with boils that had 
broken out in consequence of their confinement. The 
dead bodies of the prisoners, without any ceremony, 
were thrown into a ditch. 

All the English force, both naval and military, which 
could possibly be spared, under the command of Admiral 
Watson, was dispatched with the greatest haste to Cal- 
cutta. The shi|)s arrived in the middle of December, 
and anchored some fifteen miles below the city. Letters 
for the nabob were forthwith sent to Calcutta, but, 
receiving no reply, the English determined without 
delay to commence hostilities. The admiral immedi- 
ately moved the ships up the river, in front of Forfc 
Mayapore, which he proposed to attack on the follow- 
ing day. Little resistance being apprehended, Colonel 
Clive, about midnight, landed with a large force of 
men, with a view to cut off the retreat of the garrison 
of the fort to Calcutta; he accordingly stationed his 
troops in a low, hollow space, surrounded by brush- 
wood, thinking that he was perfectly secure. The men 
being extremely fatigued, they fell asleep without even 



CALCUTTA. 185 

placing a sentinel. The enemy informed the nabob of 
their position, who sent a large detachment which made 
an unexpected attack in the night. The English suf- 
fered terribly before they could form their ranks ; their 
two field-pieces fell into the hands of the enemy, who 
fortunately knew not how to use them, and they were 
afterward recovered. Colonel Olive resolved not to 
retreat, lest his troops should be struck with panic ; and 
when they were at length rallied, and formed in order 
of battle, they quickly dispersed the band of assailants. 

The nabob was so much discouraged by this move- 
ment that he left Calcutta, leaving it garrisoned by only 
five hundred men, who surrendered almost so soon as 
Admiral Watson had opened his batteries. The mer- 
chandise which had been left, belonging to the English, 
was found, it having been reserved for the use of the 
nabob. 

On our way up the Hoogly River, some fifteen miles 
below Calcutta, we passed Serampore, which is beauti- 
fully situated. Every one who is at all familiar with 
the history of missions in the East knows how inti- 
mately this place is associated with the names of the 
earliest and some of the best men that have gone out to 
preach the gospel in Asiatic countries. In the beginning 
of the present century it was the cave in which the 
missionaries were concealed when they were forbidden 
to preach in British India (it then being a Danish pos- 
session, and not under the control of the English) ; and 
this is the spot where Carey and Ward confined them- 
selves, to study the languages of the country. Here they 



186 AROUND THE WORLD, 

planted their printing-presses, and sent forth millions 
of pages of Christian truth into nearly all parts of Asia 
and the islands of the sea. Here, too, Judson, several 
years later, found a temporary refuge, when he was for- 
bidden to land at Calcutta, as if he and his coadjutors 
from America had been guilty of conspiring against the 
peace of the country. 

Carey was born of poor parentage, in a small town 
in England, and apprenticed at the age of fourteen to 
the business of shoemaking, which trade he seems never 
to have mastered. It is said that in after-years, when 
dining at the governor-general's in India, he overheard 
some Englishman speak of him as a shoemaker, where- 
upon he turned around and corrected him, saying that 
he was only a cobbler ! On his death-bed, both the 
wife of the Governor-General of India and the Bishop of 
Calcutta came to ask his dying blessing. While learn- 
ing his trade in England he improved himself by read- 
ing, and at length turned his attention to the study 
of languages and the Bible; he was licensed by the 
Baptists to preach the gospel. On his arrival in India 
he was obliged to conceal himself from the knowledge 
of the East India Company, whose policy was opposed 
to efforts for the conversion of the natives. For several 
years he labored in grea,t seclusion, supporting himself 
by working on an indigo-plantation. In the year 1800 
he was joined by Marshman and Ward from England, 
when they established themselves under Danish protec- 
tion at Serampore. They applied themselves to learning 
the languages, and began the translation of the Bible 



CALCUTTA. 187 

into the numorous tongues of the East. They also laid 
the foundation of a college of high order, and erected 
for it a building which even now is regarded as one of 
the finest structures of its kind in India ; they likewise 
formed a fine library, now filled with the choicest works 
of the East. 

It is wonderful that a few poor missionaries could 
do such a work, and the greater part of the expense of 
these enterprises they bore themselves. Dr. Carey at 
length, for his services as professor in the College of 
Fort William at Calcutta, received a thousand rupees 
a month, nearly equal to six thousand dollars per year ; 
Mr. Ward received as much more in the printing-office ; 
and Mr. and Mrs. Marshman about the same for teach- 
ing ; and yet, while they were receiving these large sums 
for their services, they drew from the fund only twelve 
rupees each, or six dollars a month. The remainder was 
devoted, by mutual consent, to the purposes of the 
mission and for spreading the gospel. The cost of one 
version alone, which they prepared and printed, was one 
hundred thousand dollars. The words of the agreement 
which they signed when they entered on their work 
were : " Let us give ourselves up unreservedly to the 
cause in which we are engaged ; let us never think that 
our time, our gifts, our strength, our families, or even 
the clothes we wear, are our own ; let us sanctify them 
all to God and his glorious cause." They were all 
earnest in the work, and they lived not unto themselves, 
but as wise stewards laid their treasures where neither 
moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not 



188 AROTTND THE WORLD. 

break through nor steal; and they have passed away 
to enjoy their rich reward. 

The Zenana Mission was undertaken a few years ago 
by the Woman's Union Missionary Society of America 
for Heathen Lands, whose headquarters in India are at 
Calcutta, under the superintendence of Miss Hook a 
lady of rare culture and refinement. The ladies of the 
mission go out daily among the zenanas, and by many 
are cordially received. Great numbers of the wealthy 
natives express an earnest desire to be instructed. 

The Bishop's College is beautifully situated on the 
banks of the Hoogly, some two or three miles below 
Calcutta, and is surrounded by a botanic garden or park. 
It was founded in the year 1820 for the purpose of train- 
ing up, under the discipline of the Church of England, 
young men for preachers and teachers to be employed 
by the Church in scattering the seeds of the gospel over 
India. The arrangements in this institution are very 
extensive. 

The Asiatic Society, located in Calcutta, was estab- 
lished by the eminent scholar and Christian, Sir William 
Jones, who went out to India in 1783. Having been 
appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court of Bengal, 
he devoted himself to the study of the languages of the 
East, as the best means of fitting himself for usefulness 
in India. He is said to have acquired in the course 
of his life twenty-eight different languages, and to have 
become familiar with the literature of each. This Asiatic 
Society was formed for the purpose of preserving the 
history and the memorials of India. It contains an 



CALCUTTA. 189 

immense collectioPx of volumes and antique manuscripts, 
and relics of many kinds. Tlie large building in which 
they were kept was long since filled, so that it was 
found necessary to construct additional buildings for 
the accommodation of the institution. 

The Government House, built during the adminis- 
tration of the Marquis of Wellesley, has dimensions 
perhaps one-fourth less than the Capitol at Washing- 
ton. Its walls are brick, covered with stucco in the 
Indian style, an excellent imitation of white marble. 
It is inclosed with gardens, filled with a profusion of 
Oriental shrubs and shade-trees; but the noble arched 
gateway is ornamented with no such modern and re- 
publican symbol as the bird of freedom, with arrows 
and the olive-branch in its claws, nor does the tower 
or turret show any stars or stripes, or any modern tri- 
colored ensign. Instead of all these, there are a lion 
and unicorn stationed over the gateway, being more of 
a representation of fighting for the crown than of liberty. 
The stately cross of St. George is displayed from the 
palace-walls; marquees and tents cover the plain, sur- 
mounted with the same flag, and ofiicers, soldiers, and 
servants, are all clothed in gorgeous scarlet and gold 
uniforms, tokens of British royal authority. The walls 
are covered with British portraits — the most prominent 
among them being those of George III., and Charlotte, 
his faithful queen ; the Earl of Chatham, General Wolfe, 
Lord North, Lord Cornwallis, Lord Clive, and others too 
numerous to mention. The jDcrson, stranger or other- 
•wise, who desires or claims notice at the vice-regal court, 



190 AROUND THE WORLD. 

instead of presenting letters or leaving cards, registers 
Ms name in tlie adjacent court. If recognized, lie is 
honored witli an audience ; if not, nothing is said. It 
is stated that when the dinner-hour arrives, and the 
invited guests are assembled in the throne-room, stand- 
ing, the viceroy and the Countess of Mayo enter, each 
attended by an aide-de-camp, and they salute their guests 
individually. The band plays during the dinner, which 
usually takes about two hours. 



CHAPTEK XVII. 



CALCUTTA AND ITS SIGHTS. 



January 12th. — Kali Ghaut is the most famous of 
the Hindoo temples in Calcutta. It has three discon- 
nected structures; the floors of all are on one level, 
about eight feet above the ground, and are reached by 
flights of stone steps. The building on the right hand 
is circular, open all around, with roof supported by 
Hindoo columns; the central building is oblong; the 
third and principal edifice is square, and surmounted 
by a dome, which extends beyond the walls, and is sup- 
ported by outside columns and no windows; light is 
admitted through small niches. The building first de- 
scribed is the hall of sacrifice, into which only Brahman 
priests are admitted. The building last mentioned con- 
tains the shrine of the goddess Kali, to whose service 
the Thugs especially devoted themselves. Not even 
its threshold is allowed to be profaned by the foot- 
steps of the vulgar. The central edifice is the wor- 
shipers', in which they pay their adoration. Bullocks 
and goats are sacrificed, and there are connected with 
this one temple about one hundred and fifty priests. 

January 13th. — To-day we ride out some four or -^ve 
miles into the country, to the palace known as the 
Seven Tanks. This edifice is a large building within 



192 AROUND THE WORLD. 

the inclosure of extensive gardens, ornamented with a 
large variety of flowers, shrubs, and shade-trees, and 
having flsh-ponds, carriage-roads, and winding pathways. 
The lord of the ]3alace was not at home, but, by giving 
the waiters in cliarge a small fee, we were permitted to 
enter. The walls were covered with life-size pictures of 
the members of the family for several generations back, 
and the tables were covered with, relics of antiquity. 
In the garden or park we saw cages filled with wild 
animals. The linge boa-constrictors, sleeping in their 
apartments, were captured in the north of India. The 
ostrich, the bird-of-paradise, the pelican, the eagle, and 
the swan, are as domesticated as if they had known no 
otlier bome. The fish-pond is quite deep; its inhabi- 
tants came to the surface and fed from our hands. Plere 
we saw an immense green tortoise wMcb weighs neai-ly 
two hundred pounds, capable of carrying a man on his 
back. The cages contained a variety of wild animals, 
the ferocious black bear, the tiger, and the lion, among 
the most prominent. 

January litJi. — To-day we take a ride to tbe Royal 
Botanical Garden, situated on the opposite side of tbe 
river from Calcutta. The grounds cover two hundred 
and seventy-two acres, and have a river-frontage on the 
Hoogly of over a mile. The roads are beautifully laid 
out, and the whole of tbe grounds may be gone over 
witbout leaving a carriage. To the left we passed by 
a mahogany- grove, and a variety of palms and other 
sliade-trees. We at length come to the great banyan- 
tree, the pride of India. This wonderful tree is said 



CALCUTTA AND ITS SIGHTS. I93 

to be several hundred years old, and the largest of its 
kind in the country, covering a space of ground eight 
hundred feet in circumference ; it measures around its 
trunk fifty-one feet, and one hundred and seventy of its 
branches descend to the ground and have taken root, 
presenting one of the most novel sights ever witnessed, 
and people come from all parts to see it. 

During the afternoon we ride out to Fort William, 
wbich is very handsomely situated on the banks of the 
Hoogly River. The fort is in the form of an irregular 
octagon, w^ith ^lyq sides toward the land and three tow- 
ard the river ; it is surrounded by a dry moat or ditch, 
which can be filled in a short space of time with water 
by a sluice from the river. The fort is situated on a 
plain, on gently-rising ground, and contains six hundred 
mounted guns. It is capable of accommodating fifty 
thousand men, and is the largest fortification in India 

On our return to tlie city we stopped at tlie Garden 
of Eden. The name, however, is not a synonym for 
paradise, as might be supposed, but was bestowed in 
compliment to Miss Eden, the sister of Earl Godolphin, 
a former Governor-General of India. Brilliant gas-lights 
sparkled through, the dark foliage of mango, palm, and 
cypress trees, with music from a central stand. It was a 
gay scene to look upon, and we promenaded on the green 
lawns for an liour, listening to the music and surrounded 
by groups of gentlemen, ladies, and children ; army of- 
ficers in full dress, stately baboos in white cambric, dusky 
Sepoy guards in white-and-red uniforms, rajahs in jew- 
eled turbans and gold-embroidered robes, and Moham- 



194 AROUND THE WORLD. 

medans in the background on their knees — the latter 
with their faces toward Mecca, repeating their prayers. 

That portion of the city between the Garden of Eden 
and Fort William is one continual park, forming the 
great fashionable drive of Calcutta. Every evening just 
before sunset, when the heat of the day has passed, the 
whole town turns out for an hour's drive up and down 
the strand, which is one of the gayest and most beautiful 
sights to be seen in the suburbs of any city, and one of 
the most peculiar ; in no part of the world is there any- 
thing to equal it. The Europeans, with their gay equi- 
pages, from the viceroy's scarlet and gold down to the 
unpretending gharry^ move on in a steady line, some- 
times three, four, or iive abreast, until night comes on. 
The occupants of the carriages are mostly Europeans^ 
but the entire scene is decidedly Oriental ; some of the 
coachmen and footmen are fine specimens of the various 
tribes of India, all in native costume, the colors and style 
of which are as varied as the races of Hindostan, all of 
whom seem to be in high glee. 

We also visited the place on the banks of the river 
where the Hindoos burn the dead, which is one of the 
most loathsome sights that I have ever witnessed. On 
our arrival a dead human body had just been placed on 
the funeral-pile ; in a short time the hot flames consumed 
the body, and the ashes were collected by the priest and 
thrown into the river. While the fire was doing its 
work, the mourners and friends of the deceased sat flat 
upon the ground witnessing the fearful scene, which to 
them is as sacred as the religion they profess. Every 



CALCUTTA AND ITS SIGHTS. I95 

day a number of dead bodies are disposed of in this 
manner. 

We called at the office of A. C. Litchfield, consul- 
general for the United States, by whom we were re- 
ceived with marked attention, and who invited us to 
make a visit at his residence. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

GOVERN^MENT AT^D CASTE IN INDIA. 

In the sacred volume wliicli contains the earliest of 
our historical records, no statement is made whence we 
might conclude that the Jews, the first inhabitants of 
the world, had arrived at any knowledge of India. The 
river Euphrates, and the territory immediately beyond 
it, appeared to them the most remote objects to the east- 
ward, and are described as the end of the earth. Nothing 
satisfiictory is known either of the region or the people 
before Alexander the Great entered the country with 
his army, which was a little more than three hundred 
years before the Christian era. 

At that early age of the world's history, Alexander, 
having formed a resolution to explore the East, em- 
ployed the Phoenicians, and other maritime people be- 
longing to his army, to construct a fleet of more than 
two thousand vessels, in which he put part of his army, 
and encamped on the shore with the remainder until all 
were in readiness for departure. At length this great 
armament began its movement down the river ; the noise 
and shouting of the troops, and the brandishing of so 
many oars, as the flotilla dropped down the stream, 
struck with admiration the many spectators who lined 
the shore, and who were eagerly watching their prog- 



GOVERNMENT AND CASTE IN INDIA. 197 

ress. Some time was spent on their voyage, and in at- 
tacking certain strong places, by which Alexander rashly 
sacrificed many of his troops, and even endangered his 
own life, for the pleasure of making conquests wbich he 
had not the power to retain. After a voyage of nine 
months, as it is stated, down the river, he landed at 
Pattala. On his approach the inhabitants fled, and al- 
lowed him to take possession of their capital without 
resistance.^ As they went farther down the river, the 
stream divided into tw^o spacious channels, in entering 
one of which they were much alarmed when the water 
suddenly receded and left a large part of their ships on 
dry land; but, the next day, the channel again filled 
with water and the vessels floated off without receiving 
any damage, which alternation was occasioned by the 
tide, of which they had no knowledge. In a few months 
after, Alexander crossed the Persian Gulf, where he found 
a friendly people and a fertile country, in which all the 
wants of the fleet were supplied, and, in the following 
year, that part of the fleet which had not been lost along 
the rocky coast arrived in India, and penetrated the 
country as far as the Ganges. 

The discovery of the passage to India around the Cape 
of Good Hope was made six years after the discovery of 
America by Columbus, and opened the whole of India 
to the commerce of Europe. In the year 1600 a com- 
mercial company was chartered in England, under the 
name of the East India Company, with almost unlimited 
privileges and power, which continued to increase and 
extend its limits until it had brought the greater part 



198 AROUND THE WORLD. 

of India under its sway ; but at length, in 1858, the year 
after the great Sepoy mutiny, the company was com- 
pelled by the Government of Great Britain to relinquish 
all its possessions in India. 

The Hindoos claim for their country and nation an 
antiquity of four or f\.YQ million years, and that things 
have been going on much after the same fashion from 
the beginning; that in the early days of their race 
men grew to the height of from fifteen to twenty feet, 
and lived a thousand or more years. 

The empire of India, as previously mentioned, in- 
cludes a number of provinces and presidencies, such as 
Bengal, Bombay, Madras, etc., extending over a territory 
of a million and a half square miles, and contains a popu- 
lation of two hundred million people ; it is now admin- 
istered by a governor-general or viceroy, who has under 
him, in the several provinces, governors, lieutenant-gov- 
ernors, and commissioners. All the great native rulers 
were dethroned, and their territory taken, in the con- 
quests made by British arms. 

For a period of two hundred and fifty years India 
was ruled for the benefit of the East India Company. 
This was a commercial enterprise, undertaken for the 
purpose of making money, and gold and precious stones 
were the objects sought, while the welfare of the people 
was among the last matters to be considered ; even the 
claims of religion, humanity, and justice, were too often 
treated with neglect. But things have taken a wonder- 
ful change since that great monopoly has been abolished. 
India is now ruled, not for the sake of extorting money 



GOVERNMENT AND CASTE IN INDIA. 199 

from a subjugated race, but for the welfare of the people ; 
and instead of the cause of religion being retarded as 
Mtberto, it is now encouraged and propagated in every 
possible way by all good English subjects. 

The aspect of the country, in its material, educa- 
tional, social, and religious interests, is at present full of 
promise. There are yet reforms to be worked out which 
will require time for their consummation; but, judging 
from the movements now inaugurated, India bids fair to 
become a mighty empire in the East. The viceroy alty 
is the highest office in the gift of the British crown, and, 
considering the extent of its sway, and the population 
over which it is exercised, it is the most important dele- 
gated office in the world. The power is not so absolute 
as was that of the governors-general in the palmy days 
of the East India Company, but the present viceroy is 
directly responsible to the home Government. He is 
paid a salary of twenty-iive thousand pounds — equal to 
one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars — annually, 
and is allowed nearly as much more for incidental ex- 
penses. He has, as before remarked, an extensive palace 
in Calcutta, where he resides during the winter, and an- 
other in the Himalaya Mountains, where he spends the 
summer. 

All official salaries in India are generally large ; and 
the immense army of office-holders employed in all the 
departments of government— the revenues for their pay- 
ment being drawn directly from the country itself — 
makes it of vast importance to Great Britain, for it is a 
source from which a large number of the higher and 



200 AROUND THE WORLD. 

middle classes obtain their support. Some officials, who 
receive the highest salaries, have the promise of pensions 
after their terms of service expire. Nearly every ship 
returning to England carries home servants of the Gov> 
ernment, and as many more are constantly coming out. 
At the end of seven years, as a rule, officers, both high 
and low, have a furlough of one year on full pay, with 
the expenses of their voyage homeward paid; this rule 
not only includes the army, but also the banks and other 
corporations. 

There is associated with the viceroy an Executive 
Council, whose members may be regarded as secretaries 
or ministers in charge of the bureaus of Foreign Affairs, 
Finance, War, Judiciary, Post-Office, Board of Public 
Works and Education. This Executive Council, like a 
cabinet council elsewhere, waits on the viceroy daily or 
weekly as he requires. Its members are residents in 
India, and they are appointed by the viceroy with the con- 
sent of the crown. With the consent of the Executive 
Council the viceroy appoints all magisterial and minis- 
terial officers. All this confers upon the viceroy almost 
absolute power over the government of India. There is 
also a Legislative Council, which consists of the same ex- 
ecutive councilors, with the addition of a few residents of 
India selected by the viceroy, with the approval of the 
crown, to represent the general interests of the country. 
In each of these councils the viceroy presides. He can 
veto any measure passed, but not without rendering his 
reasons to the crown. This Legislative Council makes 
general laws and levies taxes. A majority in each 



GOVERNMENT AND CASTE IN INDIA. 201 

Council are British, but a few piomineiit natives of 
India, distinguislied for rank, property, or merit, are 
added to each. The Executive Council sits with closed 
doors, but the Legislative Council debates in public, 
and its proceedings are reported as fully as those of our 
own Congress of the United States. Thus it will be 
seen that the Government of British India differs from 
that of the United States, chiefly in its denial of the 
elective franchise. All its appointments are derived, 
directly, or indirectly from the crown of England. 

But the Government of India, as described, is not 
established in all parts of the conquered territory. There 
are several districts, some very large ones, which still re- 
main under the government of native hereditary princes. 
All these provinces, however, acknowledge the supremacy 
of the British Government, and submit to its interven- 
tion in the local administration by way of advice or 
protest. Some of them feel quite independent. Other 
native princes are more subservient, and consent to have 
their revenues collected by the Calcutta Government^ 
and even applied by it to the w^ elf are and improvement 
of the districts. Some admit judicial interference, and 
others exclude it. Some still maintain armies, and others 
have surrendered that power. Hence it is apparent that 
a large part of India is in a transitory state, and much 
remains to be done to consolidate the several interests 
of the Government. 

The European population of India, including the 
British Islands, is short of two hundred thousand, who 
are chiefly engaged in the public, military, and civil 

14 



202 AROUND THE WORLD. 

service, although in the principal cities there is a large 
mercantile population. And it seems wonderful that 
such a small number should be capable of governing 
over tv^^o hundred million people. There are very few 
Europeans in India that were born there, and scarcely 
one whose parents were natives of the country. There 
is a class of children born in the country, of European 
fathers and native mothers, numbering over fifty thou- 
sand, called East Indians, who are commonly acquainted 
with both the foreign and native languages ; many of 
this class have had special advantages of education, and 
occupy positions as clerks or agents of the Government ; 
they are almost as dark as the natives, and are easily 
distinguished by their European features; they are not 
reputed to possess as much enterprise of character as 
foreigners. 

The great objection by the natives to the schools 
and colleges in India is, that they have a tendency to 
oppose their religious form of idolatry, which they con- 
sider quite as sacred as we do Christianity. But, doubt- 
less, the results of the work of education and the teach- 
ings of Christianity must aid greatly in the overthrow 
of idolatry, and of other forms of false religion which 
have so long prevailed in the land. The general attitude 
of the Government toward the systems of idolatry has 
undergone an entire change. The time was, and not 
many years ago, when the East India Company derived 
a large revenue from the native temples and places of 
worship; when the English soldiers were compelled 
to bow down and do reverence before the heathen gods, 



GOVERNMENT AND CASTE IN I NUT A. 203 

for the sake of securing the favor or avoiding the hos- 
tility of tlie natives. At lengtli a long indictment was 
found, and recorded against tlie former I'ulers of tlie 
land by the home Government; and they were con- 
victed not only of wickedness but of folly, when, in 
the great mutiny of 1857, the very men whose favor 
they had courted became their most deadly enemies. 

The greatest social difficulty of the Government con- 
sists in contending against the ancient laws and customs 
of caste. A touching incident, which may be regarded 
as showing the protest of human nature against the laws 
of caste, is told of a young native woman, which occurred 
a few years ago. She was indicted for the murder of her 
child, whose father was of a lower caste than her own, 
and Avdth which intermarriage was forbidden. She con 
fessed that she killed the infant, rather than lose her 
caste. The jury, half native and half foreign, j)yo 
nounced her not guilty, notwithstanding her confession 
Therefore the rules of caste are unbroken even by crime 
A man may commit murder, adultery, theft, or perjury, 
and even be convicted of such crimes without losino^ 
caste ; but if he violates any of the ceremonial laws, 
even by eating with a European, or with a Mohammedan 
of India, or with any one not belonging to his class, he 
would be deo-raded. It is said that a Brahman was 
once forced by a European to eat a small particle of 
meat. Although his offense was involuntary, he had to 
do three years' penance, and pay a ransom of one hun- 
dred thousand rupees, to be restored to his caste ! If 
one violates the rules of caste, he or she is driven from 



204 AROUND THE WORLD. 

home ; and any friend wlio should give shelter would 
be denounced as an outcast. Neither parents, nor wife, 
nor children, would be allowed to hold intercourse with 
such a man. 

This is the penalty that every Hindoo incurs who 
becomes a Christian, and caste thus proves one of the 
most serious obstacles to the progress of the Christian 
religion. It is a severe test, but just such a test as was 
indicated by the promise of the Saviour : " Every one 
that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or 
father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my 
name's sake, shall receive an hundred-fold, and shall in- 
herit everlasting life." 

There are certain features of national character which 
not only discriminate one people from another in distant 
parts of the globe, but also the same people from their 
immediate neighbors. The outlines of the Hindoo re- 
ligious system have already been traced, and we have 
now to consider their political arrangements and the 
peculiar castes and classes into which they are divided. 

The Hindoos appear to have been always ruled by 
despotic governments; and for many ages their subjec- 
tion to a foreign race, differing in religion, manners, and 
language from those of their own, has been humiliating ; 
even the native princes who had attained a certain de- 
gree of power have been degraded, and certain privileges 
wrested from them. 

A township or village is formed by a community 
of the same caste, occupying a certain extent of land, 
the boundaries of which are carefully defined. Some- 



GOVERNMENT AND CASTE IN INDIA. 205 

times it is cultivated in common by tlie united labor 
of the inhabitants, but more commonly eacli ploughs 
his separate field. Some part of the land is assigned 
to those who have charge of important public services. 
They liave over them one v^ho acts as judge and magis- 
trate, and treats witli judges of similar communities. 
Whatever change the supreme authority in the empire 
may undergo, or into vs^hatever hands it may pass by 
inheritance, usurpation, or force of arms, M^hether its 
rulers be native or foreign, the peculiar constitution 
of each township remains unaltered ; no revolutions 
affect it, no conquest changes it ; even wlien invasion 
has compelled its members to leave their native seats, 
and spend years in exile, upon the first dawn of tran- 
quillity, they hasten back, and if possible resume their 
ancient inheritance. 

The next grand feature, and one now peculiar to 
India, consists in the division of the people into castes ; 
it is an institution which has long effected a separation 
among certain orders of society as complete as if they 
had belonged to different species. Although its power 
has been shaken by the inroads of the English, it still 
continues to exist. The four principal castes consist of 
the Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and the Sudras. It 
is through religion, or rather a slavish superstition, that 
these distinctions are sanctioned. The sacred books 
claimed by the Brahmans as having been issued in the 
moment of creation from the mouth of Brahma repre- 
sent Kshatriyas from his arms, Vaisyas from his thigh, 
and Sudras from his feet ; accordingly, while the first 



206 ABOUND THE WORLD. 

enjoys a rank almost equal to divinity, the latter are 
denied the rights of common humanity. Their sacred 
books are filled with relations of the miraculous powers 
of the Brahmans, millions of years ago, in drying up the 
sea, vomiting fire on their enemies, and subduing the 
great nations of the earth. Brahmans are first in rank 
of society. In the great festivals, when the opulent 
occasionally make a display of their wealth, the most 
honored of them are loaded with presents ; at entertain- 
ments given by those in high places, it is said to amount 
to many thousand rupees ; lands and cattle are also 
given at their feasts by the pious. So far, indeed, do 
they rank above every other class, that the daughter 
of the poorest Brahman is taught to consider a king as 
no equal match for her. 

The Kshatriyas, or military class, are second in dignity. 
During the era of Hindoo independence, not only gen- 
erals, but even kings, were chosen from this body, al- 
though, since the subjection of India by foreign powers, 
they have suffered a very severe depression. The only 
powerful body of this class now remaining are those 
under the name of Bajpoots, who occupy the wild tract 
of country bordering on the western desert of India. 

The Vaisyas rank third, and belong more to the in- 
dustrial part of the community, but their functions are 
not very distinctly explained. By some they are said to 
be traders, and by others shepherds and cultivators of 
the soil. 

The Sudras stand lowest in the scale of castes, and 
suffer a degree of degradation greater than befalls any 



GOVERNMENT AND CASTE IN INDIA. 207 

other class of people not actually bondsmen. They are 
not only doomed to serve and toil, but, as far as possible, 
are debarred from improving their circumstances. Even 
the attempt of a Sudra to accumulate property is declared 
to be unlawful, and gives pain to the Brahmans. Their 
spiritual prospects are equally looked down upon, and 
they are not permitted in public, or openly, to perform 
a single religious ceremony. Their occupation is princi- 
pally agricultural, and some exercise the various trades 
and handicrafts. Their employment is invariably trans- 
mitted by hereditary descent from father to son, and 
they never attempt to vary their method, or make any 
improvements on the models derived from their ancestors. 
To taste the food of another caste, or to hold communica- 
tion with persons of an inferior caste, constitutes the 
chief of their deadly sins. If one should swallow a mor- 
sel of beef, it converts at once the most revered Brah- 
man into a despised and miserable outcast, and he at 
once loses his caste. The loss of caste to them is the 
loss of the whole world ; henceforth the offender can see 
no more the face of father, mother, brother, or sister, or 
even his wife or children ; they will fly from his pres- 
ence as from one infected with some deadly distemper. 
Those who violate the laws of caste often commit sui- 
cide, or take refuge in the caves of the mountains, or 
some remote place where they can never see a friend. 



CHAPTEE XIX. 

CUSTOMS AIN^D MAI^NEES OF THE NATIVES. 

The Hindoos appear to be imbued with a tliorougli 
selfishness, viewing the mass of foreigners only as in- 
struments to promote their own interest and that of 
their immediate connections. Yet they are courteous 
and polite, and in meeting with foreigners they inva- 
riably make a graceful bow, by raising the right hand 
to the forehead, often with a cheerful smile upon the 
face. If this mode of politeness should indicate any de- 
gree of sympathy, then they are misrepresented by those 
who dwell among them. 

Nowhere in India is woman elevated to her true 
position, as the equal or companion of man ; she is ex- 
cluded from the ordinary social intercourse of every- 
day life. Among the poorer classes sLe is often made 
a mere beast of burden, or water-drawer; by none is 
she deemed worthy of education. The common females 
exhibit their fondness for jewelry by the disj)lay of a 
profusion of ornaments: they wear rings in their ears 
and in their noses, necklaces trimmed with jewels, 
bracelets around their arms and ankles, and rings on 
their toes and fingers. The rings worn in the nose are 
put through the side of the nostril, and I have seen 
some of them from two to tliree inches in diameter. 



CUSTOMS AND MANNERS OF THE NATIVES. 209 

The different races and religions, to some extent, may- 
be distinguished by their dress. The Hindoos button 
the vest on the right side, and the Mohammedans on 
the left, and the numerous sects often wear different 
colors and cut of costume. The garments worn by the 
Hindoos of to-day are probably of the same cut and 
fashion as those worn centuries before the Christian era. 
The dress of the men usually consists of two j)ieces of 
wide cotton cloth, one of which is wrapped around the 
waist, and the other thrown loosely over the shoulder; 
a shawl, formed in the shape of a turban, upon the head, 
and sandals upon the feet, complete the costume. The 
women have a single piece of cloth, either silk or cotton, 
plain or colored, several yards in length, which is partly 
tied around the waist, forming a kind of garment that 
reaches to the feet ; the rest is then passed around the 
body and over the head, falling down the back, which 
gives them rather a graceful appearance. Some of the 
native men wear loose trousers, as wide as ladies' skirts 
at the bottom, looped around the ankles. The wealthier 
classes among the natives, both Mohammedan and Hin- 
doo, indulge freely in dress, wearing the richest silks and 
finest muslins, trimmed with gold and silver lace, and 
their hair adorned with rich ornaments. Both rich and 
poor are very fond of jewelry, and by those who can 
afford it there is no limit to their decoration, except the 
extent of their means. 

It is said that the Hindoos are not the original pos- 
sessors of the soil. When they came into the country, 
some thousands of years ago, they found it already occu- 



210 AROUND THE WORLD. 

pied by a people who had strayed over there not long 
after the dispersion. The descendants of these tribes^ 
who were driven back by the Hindoos, some twenty-five 
or thirty centuries ago, may still be found in some of the 
remote parts of India, but their numbers are so few that 
the Hindoo may be regarded as the native race. 

It is said that a certain class of the Hindoo people, in 
the mountains and upper provinces, club together and 
carry on a regular system of plunder, which is deeply 
rooted in their habits. They are not like European rob- 
bers, bold desperadoes who set at defiance the order and 
laws of society, for they are recognized and sanctioned 
by certain laws in the ancient codes, dividing the spoil 
between themselves and the state. Even under the Brit- 
ish Government, which denounces such a state of things 
with heavy penalties, it is still carried on to a great ex- 
tent. They calculate on their dexterity for eluding de- 
tection, and some of them often live in the midst of 
villages, where their practices are well known to the 
people, but which scarcely render them any the less 
respected by their neighbors. They go in large bands, 
under the lead of a chief, and do not commit depreda- 
tions on their immediate neighbors, or within the terri- 
tory of their own village. As they pass through the 
country towns they compel to follow them all who can 
render any service, threatening instant death iu case of 
refusal. The timid inhabitants on their approach are 
struck with terror, and seldom attempt resistance, but 
at once surrender such effects as the marauders may 
require. At their departure the outlaws utter fearful 



CUSTOMS AND MANNERS OF THE NATIVES. 211 

oatlis against sucli as may take any steps to discover or 
bring them to justice. Tlie terror inspired by sucb 
threats, the difficulty of bringing evidence before the 
English courts, and the facility of retreat into the thick 
jungles by which many of the provinces are surrounded^ 
enable them lono; to baffle the efforts of the Government 
officers in their arrest. 

The Hindoos are generally active and industrious, 
eagerly bent on the accumulation of wealth, and though 
wages are low, and the laboring classes extremely poor, 
yet capital yields high profits ; therefore many of those 
who have been fortunate in their moneydending, or mer- 
cantile pursuits, have attained very great wealth, very 
little of which is expended in the daily enjoyments of 
life. Those in the country villages live in low mud 
houses, eating and living on the bare ground -floor, hav- 
ing neither tables nor other furniture. Their dwellings 
in the large cities are more expensively constructed, but 
the same custom of living is to a great extent practised 
both by the rich and poor alike. 



CHAPTEK XX. 



PRODUCTS OF INDIA 



The rents in India exceed a third of tlie gross prod- 
uce of the land, hence a farm can only yield a very 
small income. The implements of agriculture are of the 
most imperfect form ; the name of plough can scarcely 
be applied to the instrument used for breaking the soil, 
for it has neither coulter nor mould-board, the handle has 
but little power in guiding it, and the share does not 
penetrate the soil beyond three inches. ' The harrow is 
in the shape of a ladder, on which the driver stands to 
guide the team, and, instead of having teeth, rough 
bushes are attached to assist in covering the seeds. The 
hoe and shovel are of the same simple character. The 
rotation of crops is a principle unknown in India ; every- 
thing possible is drawn from the ground until it is com- 
pletely exhausted, when it must be recruited by being 
left fallow some time ; manure is scai'cely used at all. 
In some parts of India the soil is very fertile, and con- 
tinues to bear fair crops without intermission. The 
farmers in India sj)end much time in irrigation, without 
which the land becomes lansruid and will die for the 
want of water. This system requires more labor than 
working the land itself, for water has to be applied every 
<lay during the dry season, which commonly continues 



PRODUCTS OF INDIA. 213 

for more than one-Lalf of the year. In addition to the 
supply of water furnished by the great rivers, princes 
and wealthy individuals have built immense tanks and 
pools, or reservoirs, for public use. Every farmer also 
has wells — some of great depth — on his premises. Hun- 
dreds and thousands of people may be seen all over the 
face of the country drawing water ; much is drawn by 
hand-labor, but the larger farmers draw by bullocks, 
with a wooden framework over the well ; in the top is a 
pulley-block, through which a rope is rove ; at one end 
is attached a large leathern bucket, at the other the bul- 
locks, and as the water is raised it is emptied into a 
wooden trough, through which it is conveyed over the 
fields, in a similar manner to that practised in China. 

Rice in India is the principal staff of life, being used 
to a greater extent than any other grain. It is the food 
of the highest and the lowest, and is the principal har- 
vest of all Asia. Its production requires more water 
than any other grain, and the crop is wholly dependent 
on irrigation. The rice-ground in India is prepared in 
April, and the seed is sown in May and harvested in 
August. 

Cotton is raised to a considerable extent in India ; it 
used to be inferior to that grown in America, and was 
less valued by the English dealers, but in later years it 
has been greatly improved by a change of seed, and now 
compares favorably with that raised in our Southern 
States. 

Silk is another valuable article in the India trade. 
It is produced largely in Bengal, and not so much in 



214 AROUND THE WORLD. 

tlie upper provinces. Silk was originally confined to 
the East, but since its introduction into Europe it has 
been so much improved that the French and Italian 
silk is now decidedly superior to the Indian and Chinese. 
The silk-manufacture in India is of great antiquity, and 
is carried on to considerable perfection without the aid 
of machinery. The loom requires two persons to work 
it, and probably is now the same as that in use many 
thousand years ago. The shawls of Cashmere, made 
from the wool of goats, are all woven by hand, and give 
employment to many thousand people. 

Sugar is extensively raised and consumed in India, 
The cane, however, is said to be inferior in strength to 
that of the West Indies, and the product is principally 
made into molasses. It is claimed by many intelligent 
persons that, if European skill, capital, and machinery, 
were applied to the production of sugar, India could 
easily sup|)ly the whole British Empire. 

Tobacco was not originally raised in India, but, as 
soon as the Europeans had found it in America, it was 
introduced into the East. The soil is well adapted for 
its growth, and, as it is now raised in nearly every part 
of the empire, a considerable amount is being exported 
to Europe. 

Indigo is extensively grown ; in a commercial point 
of view it has taken the lead of almost every other com- 
modity, and commands a ready sale, both in Europe and 
America. Although, as the name implies, it is strictly an 
Indian plant, since the country came into the posses- 
sion of the English, its culture has been greatly extended. 



PRODUCTS OF INDIA, 215 

Opium is another great product of India, and had 
* long been raised in the country before it came under 
British rule. In 1773 the East India Company, becom- 
ing aware of its great pecuniary value, assumed the 
monopoly of its growth. It has ever since been raised 
under the direction and for the benefit of the Govern- 
ment. It is cultivated largely in the southern prov- 
inces, in the districts bordering on the Granges. It is the 
juice taken from the seed-vessels of the common white 
poppy, extracted before the seeds are fully ripe. There 
are few prettier sights than the po23py-fields present 
when in full bloom. 

Pepper is also an important object of Hindoo agii- 
culture. This valuable spice, for w^hich there is such 
a general demand, is raised amid the wooded hills of 
Malabar, shaded by dense forests. It also grows on 
many of the East Indian islands, but the Malabar pepper 
is considered the best. It is exported in the two states, 
black and white, a distinction which arises from the 
different modes in which the seeds have been prepared. 

India has been celebrated not only for the rich 
products of her soil, but her manufactures have also 
enjoyed a high reputation from the earliest antiquity, 
all by hand-labor. The country contains a vast number 
of inhabitants who are wretchedly poor, and a few who 
are immensely rich. On the one hand, the great mass 
of the people live in abject poverty upon the coarsest 
food, while some of the rich subsist upon the finest lux- 
uries and products of the land. 

India is also prominent in the great mines of wealth, 



216 AROUND TEE WORLD, 

gold, silver, and precious stones, and no expense is 
spared in obtaining the rich treasure for her princes 
and great men of the country, which they so highly 
prize and hoard up. These mines in former years are 
said to have employed many thousand men to work 
them; also ingenious mechanics in gold and silver, for 
cutting, polishing, and setting precious stones : and now^ 
as perhaps centuries ago, the ground is the workman's 
bench; his hands and feet the vise, and his tools only 
rude pieces of iron with sharp edges; he carries on his 
trade in a slovenly manner, waiting till he is sent for 
by a customer, when he picks up his little set of imple- 
ments and fire-dish, and hastily walks off to do the 
work. 

India has always produced commodities of great 
value and beauty, but the demand has much diminished, 
in consequence of the inability to cope with the im- 
proved machinery of Europe and the United States. 
Cashmere shawls, which are worked by hand-labor, are 
still exported in large quantities ; and many other 
articles, manufactured without the aid of steam -ma- 
chinery, are sent abroad ; but calicoes, muslins, and 
silks, are mostly consumed in the country. The Euro- 
pean returns for India goods have been limited; the 
Orientals, generally speaking, have shown very little 
taste for the productions of the West, and require that 
their commodities should be paid for in gold and silver, 
which has a tendency to retard the trade and commerce 
of any country. 

By not having a rainfall in the usual way, as in 



PRODUCTS OF INDIA. 217 

Europe and America, the agriculturist in India is placed 
at a disadvantage. Rain only falls in certain districts 
in a siDecific time, or occurs at certain periods, called the 
rainy season, and in general there is but one rainy sea- 
son during the year, commencing in June and continuing 
till October, which is during the southwest monsoons ; 
little or no rain falling in the other months. In the 
peninsula of India, however, there are in some places 
two rainy seasons : one during the southwest monsoon 
on the west side, the other in the time of the northeast 
monsoon on the east side of the country. It is said that 
the quantity of rain which sometimes falls in a short 
time is very great ; that the roads become like rivers, 
and the fields like lakes; but this only happens at long 
intervals ; generally speaking, it falls gently, even in the 
absence of clouds, with bright sunshine. These heavy 
showers are generally accompanied with terrific thunder 
and lightning. For some hours lightning is seen almost 
without intermission ; sometimes it only illuminates the 
sky, and shows the clouds near the horizon ; at others it 
lights up the distant hills, and again leaves all in dark- 
ness, when in an instant it reappears in vivid flashes. 
During all this time thunder never ceases to roar, and 
is only silenced by some nearer sound which echoes 
throuo:h the ear with such a sudden and tremendous 
crash as can scarcely fail to strike the insensible heart 
with fear and reverence for Him who holds the elements 
within his grasp, and the world at his control. 

15 



CHAPTEK XXI. 

CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 

January Ibth. — We have been traveling for nearly 
five months, and have reached a ]3oint more than fourteen 
thousand miles westward all the way, to find the East. I 
was told at home that Japan, China, and India, were all 
in the East, and we still go on westward, turning neither 
to the south nor north, and I should like to know how 
much farther we have to go before we find ourselves in 
the East. We have now completed about one-half of 
our tour around the globe. But more perplexing than 
all other philosophy is that composed of geography and 
astronomy, w^hich places the United States of America 
right under our feet, and, worst of all, tells us that New 
York, our good old town, is turned topsy-turvy ! It re- 
quires a great power of specific gravity to realize this 
philosophy; and, more bothering still, although I am 
quite sure that I sit and stand right-end upward, with 
ground below, and sky above, as I gaze from the hotel 
veranda, the people in the streets of Calcutta and the 
ships on the Hoogly River are the same. I am told, 
from the standpoint at home, that the people in India, 
and the ships upon the sea, with their passengers, are 
all wrong-end upward, the keels of ships pointing tow- 
ard New York, with their masts the contrary way. To 



CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 219 

solve this proLlem, I wisli that some one could only 
send me a telegram through, either below or above. If 
these things are so, there is something more in going 
around the world than a2:)pears on the surface. 

Every intelligent person knows that it is by the 
mighty power of steam applied to locomotion, by land 
and sea, that we are enabled to complete a belt of 
traveling around the globe in a com]3aratively short pe- 
riod to what we could a few years ago, when we had to 
traverse the sea by sailing-ships, and the land by coaches. 

I recall to memory some twenty-five years ago when 
the gold excitement broke out in California. Little 
did I then dream that it would ever be my privilege 
to cross over the Western prairies and see the Indian 
tribes, and other features of pictorial mountain scenery. 
Far distant was the thought, when I was a boy, study- 
ing geography of the world in a country school, that it 
would ever be my lot to cross the Eocky Mountains by 
rail at an elevation of eight thousand feet, and scale the 
Sierra Nevada ranoe at an altitude of over seven thou- 
sand feet; and the remotest of my thoughts could not 
comprehend that it would ever be my privilege to make 
the tour around the world in so short a period of time. 

This evening we leave Calcutta by the half-past ten 
o'clock train for Delhi, distance nine hundred and ninety- 
six miles, fare eighty-eight rupees. It was a beautiful 
moonlio;ht evenino:. The terminus of the East India 
Railway is situated directly opposite Calcutta, across the 
Hoogly. Here we presented ourselves for a journey of 
twenty-four hours. A telegram from up the road has 



220 ■ AROUND THE WORLD. 

been received that a train of cars ran off the track last 
night, killing and wounding a large number of passen- 
gers, which to hear was not congenial to our feelings. 
The Indian sleeping-cars are a modification of the Amer- 
ican system, and, although they do not in India furnish 
bedding and attendance, there is no extra charge made 
for the carriage, and it was cheaper to buy bedquilts and 
pillows than to pay three dollars a night, as in America^ 
for the accommodation ; and the bedding is also required 
in the hotels, where it is only customary to provide a 
bedstead, a mattress, one sheet, and perhaps one hard 
pillow. On leaving the depot at Calcutta we made our 
beds in the best possible manner, and should have en- 
joyed a comfortable night's repose, but the train stop- 
ping at short intervals all through the night, taking in 
and putting off passengers, very much broke our rest. 

January l^th. — This morning early we arrive at 
Newadi, two hundred and twenty-nine miles from Cal- 
cutta. The day is bright and pleasant, but warm. This 
little town is pleasantly situated at the foot of the hills ; 
here an additional engine is attached to the train to 
assist ia pulling up the steep incline, through a deep cut 
in the road. The country in the vicinity is under a good 
state of cultivation, and the poppy-fields are numerous. 
At nine o'clock we arrive at a small town called Manan- 
])ur, stopping long enough to breakfast. 

The greater part of the plain of India is destitute of 
heavy forests, and I may say the greater part of the con- 
tinent of Asia, except on the neighboring islands near 
the equator, where they are very dense, although a large 



CALCUTTA TO BENARES. 221 

part of Hindostaii is in jungle, wliich is a bnishwood 
from ten to twelve feet in lieiglit, tliickly covering the 
ground. 

At two o'clock we stop at Pakowr and tal<e dinner. 
This station was one of the first places plundered and 
destroyed by the rebels during the insurrection of 1857. 
The bungalows of the railway-officers were destroyed by 
hre. The Ranis palace was sacked, and the native town 
overrun by eight thousand insurgents, armed with bows 
and arrows, and battle-axes; many of the inhabitants 
w^ere barbarously murdered, others fled to the jungle for 
their lives, and it was a long time before the town was 
reclaimed. Shortly after leaving Pakowr we came to 
Eajmahab, situated on the right bank of the Ganges, a 
town of considerable note, and at the station (called 
Talijeria) is an interesting missionary establishment 
which was founded by the Rev. W. Puxley. 

Sultanganja is the next station, and is of some repute. 
It was here — when the railroad company was making 
excavations for extension — that a curious Buddhist 
image, made of coj^per, ten feet high, was dug out of a 
mound. The country is covered with Buddhist temples, 
many of them going to decay. Shortly after leaving the 
village we pass through a tunnel, nine hundred feet 
in length, the only one npon the road. The country 
through which we ride, so far as we can see, is composed 
of a plain, dotted with towns and hamlets, and in the 
distance we obtain an occasional view of the mountains, 
which makes the ride one of interest. 

The train stops nearly an hour in the city of Patana, 



222 AROUND THE WORLD. 

beautifully situated on the banks of the Ganges, and 
containing a large native population. The streets are 
narrow, and the houses densely crowded together. The 
rooms are still showm where the massacre of the Euro- 
peans took place. The victims are buried in the town, 
and a monument is erected over them. 

At six o'clock in the evening we arrive at Mogul 
Serai, where we make a change on a branch-road six 
miles in length leading to the Ganges, where we found 
carriages in readiness to convey the passengers across 
the river, over a bridge made of boats joined together, 
and on reaching the opposite side of the stream we had 
about three miles to ride to reach Sekrole, or the canton- 
ment, the place where all the European population are 
located. On our arrival in the holy city we put up at 
Clark's Hotel, which is the best kept in the place. We 
were furnished with a good suite of rooms, including a 
bath, at ten rupees a day for us two. Mr. Clark is an 
Englishman, of a high-toned character. He has been in 
the country for the last twenty-five years, and married 
a native lady of education and accomplishments, who 
speaks several languages. There was no |)lace in the 
town where we could have been more highly entertainedv 
or procured more information, than at Mr. Clark's hotel. 



ClIAPTEE XXil 



BKNARES. 



Tjie eity of Benares is beautifully situated on the 
left bank of tbe Ganges, and contains two hundred and 
fifty thousand inhabitants. It is of great antiquity, and 
is conceded to be the home of Hindooism. Her temples 
number over a thousand, exclusive of the numerous 
smaller shrines occupied by idols, which meet the eye in 
eveiy direction.^ The number of idols wT)rshiped in this 
city by the people is reputed to be not less than half a 
million ! The city extends from two to three miles along 
the bank of the river, surmounting an elevation of about 
eighty feet above the water's surface. Above the river, 
on the side of the embankment, rise some noble build- 
ings, many of them four and iive stories high, all con- 
structed of stone. Owing to the rise, and consequent 
swift current, of the river at certain seasons of the year, 
some of their foundations have sunk for several feet, thus 
partially destroying their beauty. Many of these build- 
ings are the palaces of wealthy Indian princes. A row 
of palaces, temples, and ghauts, extends along the river- 
front for over a mile. 

Dr. Sh erring, of the London Missionary Society at 
Benares, said that the early history of this sacred city 
of the Hindoos is involved in much obscurity; that it is 



224 AROUND THE WORLD. 

doubtless of great antiquity, and may even date back 
from the time when the Aryan race first spread itself over 
Northern India. When it v^^as first built, and by what 
prince or patriarch, is altogether unknown. While many 
cities and nations have fallen into decay and perished, 
her sun has never gone down. As a queen, she has ever 
received the willing homage of her subjects, scattered 
over all India; and, as a lover, she has secured their 
affection and reg-ard. 

And now, after the lapse of so many years. Dr. Shei'- 
ring said that the city still maintains most of the fresh- 
ness and all the beauty of her early youth. No sight in 
the world probably can surpass that of Benares, as seen 
in the distance from the river-side. He also sj)eaks of 
her as a city which in wealth, dignity, and sanctity, is 
among the foremost in all Asia. 

January Vltli. — This being the Sabbath, we attend 
the Ej)iscopal church, situated in the English part of the 
city. There were present about one hundred Europeans 
and ten natives. 

January ISth. — This morning, after an early break- 
fast, we procure a guide and carriages, and ride to the 
Ganges. On the way we pass the Durga Kund Temple, 
which is a lofty and graceful building of pyramidal form, 
the lines being broken by numerous turrets, or clustei'S 
of turrets, tlie whole being covered with elaborate carv- 
ing, and with carved figures of sacred animals. It is 
located in a small inclosure, surrounded by an open 
colonnade. It stands upon twelve elaborately - carved 
pillars, and is surmounted by a dome, with a cupola at 



BENARES. 225 

€acli corner, and a bell is suspended from the centre of 
the dome. This temple is hehl very sacred in Hindoo 
estimation, and crowds of worshipers were gathered 
around it to pay their devotions and strew their offer- 
ings on the sljrine of the goddess. 

But this temple is better known by Europeans by 
the name of the Monkey Temj)le, for there are hundreds 
of monkeys — all living deities — which crowd not only 
the building but the immediate neighborhood, thus giv- 
ing it its name. Fine, fat, well-fed fellows they are, of 
a rich orange color ; from the venerable patriarch to the 
babe in the mother's arms, they are seen climbing grace- 
fully from the turret to the pinnacle, grinning and chat- 
tering in fear or in anger, occasionally leaping to the 
ground to scramble for a few handfuls of parched corn 
thrown to them by the devotees. Dangerous neighbors 
they must be in such a crowded neighborhood; but the 
Hindoos venerate the ape, and their sacred character pro- 
tects them from all molestation. 

On leaving the Monkey Temple we are driven to 
the river-bank of the Gano;es, and conducted throu^rh 
some of the principal palaces. Ascending a flat roof, 
several charts are seen of the heavens, engraved on stone, 
and some of the instruments formerly used in astronomi- 
cal observations, a few of which are of gigantic size, but 
are fast falling to decay. The mural quadrant, for taking 
the sun's altitude, consists of a wall eleven feet hioh and 
nine feet thick ; here is another instrument for ascertain- 
ing the declination and distance from the meridian of 
any planet or star, occupying a space thii-ty-six feet in 



226 AROUND THE WORLD. 

length by five in bread tli ; and the remains of other ap- 
pliances of a similar character are seen here. They were 
doubtless constructed over a thousand years ago. 

On the bank of the river, connected with one temple, 
is a large well, some twenty feet in depth. The stencL. 
of the water was as bad as that from a common sewer, 
occasioned by the devotees throwing in their offerings, 
consisting of small bunches of flowers and grains of 
rice ; and yet, as fast as it could be dipped up with 
buckets, the miserable creatures drank it as holy water. 
Here we saw bull-worship, peacock-worship, and other 
modes of worship too obscene for description, and every 
morning the place is thronged with devotees. 

We enter a boat and sail along the river-front, where 
we witnessed the washing and head-shaving of dead 
bodies, and their transference to the funeral-piles. For 
a long distance down the banks of the river were varied 
ci'owds of bathers, monster idols, ghauts, and funeral- 
pyres — these vast crowds all seeking salvation from the 
waters of the Ganges. 

We progress slowly along with our boat till we 
come to the large mosque with its two lofty minarets 
towering up to a great height. Here we discharge our 
boat, and return to the carriage through the busy crowd 
by land. Where this mosque is situated the river-bank 
is at least eiglity feet high from the water's edge. We 
ascend to the roof by upward of a hundred steps, worn 
into deep hollows by the feet of the multitude who are 
continually passing up and down. Fi'om here we ob- 
tained a magnificent view of the city and surrounding 



BENARES. 22^ 

country, and the Ganges winding its silver-like thread 
throuo-h the valley till lost in tlie distance. We ad- 
mired the minarets for their simplicity and boldness ^ 
they have an altitude of one hundred and forty-seven 
feet. 

Passing through the crowd we next arrive at the 
temple of Shiva, commonly known as the Golden Tem- 
ple. This is the reigning deity of Benares, and receives 
more adoration than any other idol, and yet there is noth- 
ing very elaborate about it, situated in a narrow and the 
most crowded street in the city ; the throng was really 
so dense, we thought that it would be impossible to 
enter. It is erected back from the street in the centre 
of a little inclosure, consisting of three small rooms, 
raised on a stone platform, and crowned with three 
domes, two of which are said to be overlaid with gold, 
from which it derived its name by the Europeans as the 
Golden Temple. In each room there is a large holy 
stone, and the worship consists in throwing rice, flowers, 
and money, upon these stones. There is an inner temple 
in which only the priests are allowed to enter ; within 
the inclosure adjacent to the temple is what is called the 
Well of Knowledge, into which flowers and grains of 
rice are thrown as offerings to the gods, and the water is 
drawn and drunk by the numerous devotees. This ^^'ell 
is surrounded by a handsome colonnade of forty pillars. 
Immediately to the east of the well is the stone figure of 
a large bull, about seven feet high, dedicated to one of 
their principal gods. 

The entire surroundings are rich in temples of elabo- 



228 AROUND THE WORLD. 

rate workmanship, among which the most worthy of no- 
tice is one to Anpurana, a goddess who is supposed to 
save from hunger; hence it is always thronged b)' beg- 
gars. Here is also one dedicated to the sun, one to tlie 
planet Saturn, and, I think, there is another to the moon. 
Not far from these temples is a famous well called Kal 
Kup, or the Well of Fate. Over the framework cover- 
ing the well is a square hole, so arranged in relation to 
the sun that at twelve o'clock its rays, passing througk 
the hole, strike upon the water below, indicating mid- 
day, and at this hour it is crowded l)y those wishing to 
search into the secrets of the future. 

In returning to the hotel we pass by the Queen's Col- 
lege, where some three hundred and fifty native youths 
are instructed in principles quite the opposite to those 
inculcated in the idolatrous scenes just before witnessed. 
It is a fine building, in the Gothic style, containing large 
rooms, a library stored with a rare collection of Oriental 
manuscripts, and an Indian museum. The grounds of 
the college are very extensive, and beautifully laid out. 

January 19th. — This afternoon we are accompanied 
by an experienced guide and ride out into the country, 
some four or ^ve miles distant, to Sarnath. The im- 
mense ruins of Sarnath are of great interest. Here are 
two towers, distant about twenty-five hundred feet from 
each other. The Hindoos have a tradition that a man, 
by the name of Lorik, was accustomed to jump in a 
single leaj) from tower to tower ; he is reputed to have 
resided in the vicinity of these towers, and was the 
owner of a lar2:e number of milch-cows, and after he 



BEN ABES. 229 

milked the cows in the morning, with the milk in hand, 
he gave one leap from the top, jumping from one tower 
to the other without spilling the milk. Both of the 
towers are in ruins, and only enough is left to testify to 
their great magnitude. The first tower which we aj)- 
proached was constructed on a high mound ; according 
to a recent survey made, it is one hundred and twenty- 
eight feet above the general level of the country, and is 
constructed entirely of brickwork. The second is also 
of brick, faced with elaborately - cut stone, and with 
images in some of the niches : the faces are more or less 
richly decorated with a profusion of flowering foliage, 
the south face being altogether plain. 

The remains of these large Buddhist establishments 
cover some ten or twelve acres, and the parts' |of the 
towers remaining would have been torn down long ago, 
but the brick and mortar are so firmly combined that 
they are like one perfect mass of stone, and the only way 
by which the great iron bolts and rods are taken out by 
the poor class of people is with chisel and hammer. 

In the early ages this town was the cradle of Buddh- 
ism. Buddha, according to tradition, was a prince; he 
renounced royal state, wealth, family, fiiends, everything, 
and repaired to Sarnath; here he remained in seclusion 
for five years, during which time the study of his profes- 
sion continued, and it resulted in his conviction that he 
had become perfectly purified. Here his teachings began 
nearly twenty -four hundred years ago ; and, according 
to the faith of his disciples, his gospel has spread all over 
the East, and it is to continue to radiate until it shall 



230 AROUND THE WORLD. 

pervade the entire earth. According to statistics, the 
numerous sects of tlie religious world comprise nine hun- 
dred million believers, of which the Buddhists claim 
three hundred and fifteen million. But, according to the 
teachings of the Bible, we know that the gospel of Christ, 
the King of glory, tlie divine ruler of both heaven and 
earth, shall spread from the rivers to the uttermost ends 
of the earth, till all, from the least to the greatest, shall 
know him. 

Dr. Sherring states that the Hindoos are good gram- 
marians bat meagre historians, and they possess no sin- 
gle record, among tlie ten thousand separate manuscript 
works of which their ancient literature is said to be com- 
posed, on tke historical correctness of which one can 
place mucli reliance. Their stories are so intermingled 
with d liferent events— the web of the one is so inti- 
mately interwoven with the woof of the other, and the 
two mixed up as a whole — that tbe iiuest microscopic 
intellects of Europe, after patient and long-continued ex- 
amination, have been baffled in the attempt to discover 
wbicli is fiction and which is fact. They have also more 
ways of spelling the same words than any other people 
I have ever known. 

January ''lOth, — This morning, as usual, we ride out 
to the Ganges. On our approaching the sacred river we 
saw thousands of people, some going to, others returning 
from, the bath in the waters. Here we saw a tank on 
tke river-bank, about thirty -five feet square, and ten feet 
deep; it has stone stej3S leading to the water below, sur- 
rounded by Brahmans, both men and women, making 



BE RARE S. 231 

offerings, wliicli consisted of crumbs of bread, rice, small 
bunches of flowers, and leaves. The stench arising from 
the tank was almost unendurable, and yet they bathed 
in and even drank of this water, believing that it will 
purify them and wash away every sin that they are 
guilty of. According to tradition, in ancient times many 
devotees sacrificed themselves in this tank, and, before 
doing so, they solicited from their idols the promise that 
they should, in the next life, have a residence in some 
rich man's house of high caste ! 

In sailing along the river-front, we saw great num- 
bers of Hindoos, men and women, bathing in the Ganges, 
and others upon the banks performing their religious 
ceremonies, hoping thus to wash away their sins ; some 
were worshiping the river itself; others upon their knees, 
with closed eyes gazing toward the sun, praying to it, 
were so much absorbed in their devotions as apparently 
to be unconscious of the presence of those around them. 
Every now and then we saw smoke arising on the river's 
edge, caused by the burning of the Hindoo dead; we 
passed pile after pile, some burning and others making 
ready for the cremation. 

The burning of dead bodies is the most loathsome 
sight ever witnessed. The funeral-pile is first prepared 
by setting four stakes in the ground, about two feet 
apart and four feet high, and the wood, consisting of 
about a cart-load, is piled between the stakes two feet in 
height ; then the corpse is laid upon the pile, covered 
over with sandal- wood shavings, and afterward the rest 
of the wood is placed on, to the height of the stakes. 



232 AROUND THE WORLD. 

At length, when all is in readiness, the family of the 
deceased, headed by the priest, marches in procession 
seven times around the funeral-pile, torches in hand ; on 
the last round the priest lights w^ the pile, and his fol- 
lowers also apply tbeir torches in turn. In a few 
moments the sacred pile is in a com|)lete blaze^ and 
continues to burn until the whole mass is reduced to 
ashes, when the dust is carefully collected by the mourn- 
ers and thrown into the Ganges. After this ceremony 
the priest is not allowed to touch any human being for 
the space of fourteen days, lest lie should be defiled. It 
is considered a great crime unless the fire to light up 
the funeral-pile is taken from the house of some Sudras^ 
the lowest and most despised caste in India — a casre 
which, if one of its members should be touched, contami- 
nates the party touching him, who thus forfeits his caste, 
and becomes a vagabond upon the face of the earth. 
The Sudras caste, knowing that the Brahmans dare not 
burn their dead without fire from their dwellings, often 
charge the rich enormous sums. Shortly before our 
visit, a Hindoo prince had given one thousand rupees 
for fire to burn the remains of some distinguished friend. 
Up to within a few years, it was the custom of the Hin- 
doos to burn the widow or wife of the deceased husband 
alive with him upon the same funeral-pile; but, since 
the English came into power, they have interposed and 
put a stop to this inhuman practice. 

There is a dance practised by the Brahmans, both in 
Japan and India, called the devil-dance, of which the 
])riest is at the head, having his forehead smeared with 



BEN^ARES. 233 

ashes and streaks of red paint over his face ; he wears 
a high white cap, with red tassels, and a long white rohe 
reaching to his feet. In his right hand he holds a spear 
ornamented with bells, that jingle harshly every time 
the ground is struck by it. As the band of tomtoms 
strike up, the Brahman priest makes his appearance from 
behind the curtain upon the stage, when the devotees 
show hiin the offerings they intend to present, but he 
appears wholly unconscious ; then the tomtoms are 
beaten faster and louder, when he exclaims in a loud 
voice, " I am god, the only true god ! " Then the de- 
luded devotees crowd around the priest and offer obla- 
tions, soliciting answers to their questions as to the 
future. During the performance, which continues for 
an hour or more, the priest cuts and hacks himself witli 
a sharp instrument until completely covered with blood. 
When all is over he casts off his bloody garments, picks 
up the sacrifices, and walks off quietly to the fountain 
of water to wash the donors' sins away. The caste of 
Brahman s believe that this mode of worship will drive 
away malignant spirits, and inform them of future events. 
There are many other peculiar modes of worship 
practised by the Brahmans in their temples, such as 
beating on drums and blowing of horns, to call the gods 
out. Some have a cylinder filled witb something which, 
when turned, makes a loud noise ; when the gods an- 
swer, they join in singing and clapping of hands. There 
is one temple where a man stands to guard the door, and 
to put a fan into the hands of those who were desirous 
of making offerings to the idol, of which fanning is one ; 

16 



234 AROUND THE WORLD. 

a second man rings a bell to awr.ke.i the idol, and a 
third man places tlie sacrificial dishes before the idol 
and deals out the food; a fourth Ijolds up a looking- 
glass to the idol, while the fifth beats a drum or blows 
a horn for its amusement ; the sixth acts the part of 
treasurer, and the seventh washes and cleans the dishes 
used in the temple. In some temples there are those 
who prepare the idol's bed, and present a toothpick 
after it is supposed to have taken its meals. Such is 
the idolatrous and foolish superstition of the deluded 
Brahmans. 

Here is a temple called Bhaironath, protected by a 
large idol in the shape of a dog. The confectioners near 
the temple keep a good stock of images of the dog made 
of sugar, which are offered to the idol. A Brahman is 
stationed here whose duty it is to protect persons from 
the wicked influences of evil spirits ; this is done by a 
peacock's feather, which he waves over them. A stran- 
ger, seeing it, is under the impression that the Brahman 
is employed to drive away flies, which are said to fill the 
temple during the hot season, being attracted by the 
small sugar images. On entering this temple, a Brah- 
man is seen standing at the door, holding in his hand a 
cup made out of cocoanut-shell, in which he expects all 
visitors to drop their offerings. 

Sankata Devi is a temple which is visited principally 
by barren women, and their one prayer is that the god- 
dess will bestow on them the gift of children. There is 
a story to the effect that one poor woman, after offering 
flowers, began beating her head on the floor, and with 



BENARES. 



235 



tears was supplicating the goddess to grant her a child, 
saying: ^'I have wealth, so that I can feed daily a thou- 
sand people, but I am still unhappy and most miserable, 
and have no one to leave my wealth to. Is it your wish 
when I die that it shall be left to strangers? Oh, give 
me only one child, and I will be your slave for life ! 
Even a daughter will be preferable to none at all! If 
you will but grant my request, I vow to feed daily one 
hundred Brahmans in this temple for one year ! " 

I have only enumerated a few of the most prominent 
temples in the city of Benares ; to speak of them all 
would require months of examination, and fill volumes 
in description. Shrines and temples are here more nu- 
merous than in any other city in the world. 

The Buddhist priests live principally in and around 
their temples, and are seldom seen in the streets. They 
are readily known by their large yellow garments, which 
they wear wrapped around the body, by being bare- 
footed, and with the hair shaved close to the head. 
They restrain their feelings from all attachment to the 
fair sex, and no woman dare venture to approach a 
priest unless to perform some religious duty, or to pre- 
sent some pious offering. According to our informants, 
the principle of religious homage among the Buddhists 
is that God, or his substitute, is in a temple, whom they 
worship through idols, believing that idols shall stand 
between God and man. Instead of calling upon God 
directly, they supplicate the idols, through which they 
claim to receive answers to prayer. Their opposition 
to the destruction of animal life, theft, lying, adultery, 



236 AROUND TEE WORLD. 

and drinking ardent spirits, is a good qualification ; and 
if they only looked to God, instead of worshiping 
their idols, they would be as devout a race as any on 
the earth. 

During our stay in Benares, every day regularly some 
three or four Brahmans assembled in front of the hotel, 
exhibiting snakes of the most deadly character. They 
would coil them round their necks, and even carry them 
in their bosoms. The reptiles were trained in such a 
manner that they would make a leap ; by speaking to 
them they would raise or put down their heads, and the 
Brahmans could charm the snakes in any way they seem- 
ingly wished. 

From actual statistics it has been estimated that in 
all India there are from twenty to thirty thousand deaths 
from poisonous serpents every year ! Snakes live and 
multiply not only in the jungles and open country, but 
in villages and cities. They often make their homes in 
the thatch of dwellings, and drop down from the rafters 
and lurk about the kitchen-utensils ; and sometimes are 
found in the parlors, and secrete themselves in the beds. 
I listened to many thrilling narratives of adventures with 
these unwelcome visitors. I had heard of these danger- 
ous reptiles before entering India ; so, on retiring for the 
night, I usually made a diligent search through the bed- 
chamber, and overhauled the sheets upon the bedstead, 
in order to guard against the presence of some hidden 
reptile. Among the most dangerous and deadly is the 
hooded cobra, which often attains the length of ten feet 
or more. In the south of India snakes have often been 



BENARES. 237 

captured from fifteen to twenty feet in length. A gen- 
tleman traveling with us in the cars said that last sum- 
mer he captured a cobra of large size in his bed, as he 
was about to retire for the night. 

During the winter months the snakes of India remain 
in holes, and only come out during the wet weather of 
the summer months, and are considered to be the greatest 
of all plagues that have ever been in the country. 

We visited the Maharajah Palace, belonging to a dis- 
tinguislied Indian prince, who keeps three liundred ser- 
vants and as many horses, and nine elephants. The 
prince was not at home, but his house is always open to 
European and American tourists ; so the servants showed 
us through the numerous apartments, which were ele- 
gantly furnished, and the walls covered with valuable 
ancient paintings. 

We also visited the private residence of Baboo Go- 
kool, who gave us a cordial welcome. Among other 
things, he said that he was most happy to meet people 
from the far West. He had read our country's history 
in his youth, and believed us to be a great people. Be- 
fore leaving, he showed us through a room filled with 
curious things — weapons of war, and a large variety of 
gold, silver, and copper coins, which were in use some 
two or three thousand years ago, and precious stones 
which he had collected from time to time in different 
parts of India. He saw that we admired the stones, and, 
opening the case, requested each of our party to select 
one of our choice. We offered to pay, by presenting 
money, which he refused to take, saying that he was 



238 AROUND THE WORLD, 

only too tappy to give. It is said that the rajahs of 
India are very benevolent, and particularly so to those 
whom they fancy. 

We also visited one of the principal w^arehouses,. 
where were manufactured and kept for sale the most 
costly and elegant brocade fabrics in the world. They 
are worn by the native princes, baboos, and rajahs ;: 
they are formed of silk and the purest of gold, woven 
in patterns five yards long and one yard wide. A pat- 
tern never costs less than three hundred dollars, and 
thence upward to six or seven hundred. The merchants 
took several pieces out of the cases for our inspection, 
at the same time requesting us to register our names as 
purchasers, but there is very little of this costly fabric 
sold to tourists. The merchants in the East are amiable 
and everywhere polite. 

We saw a first-class wadding pass through the city, 
marching in procession, which reached a long distance, 
and was accompanied by two bands of music. The pro- 
cession consisted of horses exquisitely decorated with 
scarlet blankets trimmed with gold and silver lace, and 
a profusion of colored ribbons, led by men dressed in 
rich uniforms. The groom rode in the rear upon horse- 
back, covei'ed with a rich canopy, bordered by a crimson 
veil trimmed with gold fringe. After the display they 
marched to the bride's residence. 

According to the custom of the country, betrothals 
are made by a class of persons outside of the families, 
who are supposed to be well acquainted with the caste 
and circumstances of the parties, without the knowledge: 



BENAIIE^. 



239 



of tlie young mail and woman wlio are to be joined to- 
gether for life. This is done when tlie parties are mere 
infants, by the parents entering into a contract that their 
children shall be married upon attaining a certain age. 
After this has been done, it is impossible to break the 
engagement, unless one or botli of them should die. 
From the time of the engagement tilFthe marriage, the 
intended bride is required to maintain the strictest seclu- 
sion. Whenever friends call upon her parents, she is 
expected to retire ; she must be closely veiled v^hen 
going into the streets, and she is debarred from all social 
intercourse with those of her sex with whom she for- 
merly associated. 

The office of match-maker is considered honorable, 
and both men and women are employed to conduct nup- 
tial negotiations, great confidence being reposed in their 
judgment. By some castes the selection and contracts 
are made by the parents, and in all cases the boy and 
girl have no voice in the engagement to be made. The 
presents given at the betrothal are said to be very valu- 
able, consisting of silks, rice, cloth, fruits, and sometimes 
money. 

Here, as in other countries, there is a great contrast 
between a wedding and a funeral. While the Hindoos 
burn the dead body, their next-door neighbors, the Chi- 
nese, bury the dead. We saw a Chinese funeral proces- 
sion pass through the streets of Penang. The corpse was 
borne upon long poles, resting upon the shoulders of 
twenty-six men. The coffin is constructed of thick 
plank, perfectly tight and strong, which is laid upon a 



240 • AROUND THE WORLD. 

shelf in some temple for several years. Those who are 
rich have a great part of their wealth, or treasure, put 
in the coffin with the body, and watched by a guard 
both night and day till the years of probation have ex- 
pired. At length the coffin is removed to the family 
field, and covered over with a large mound of earth re- 
sembling a huge hay- stack. 



CHAPTEH XXIII. 

LUCKNOW AND CAWNPORE. 

January ^Oth. — This afternoon at two o'clock we 
leave Benares, the holy city of the Hindoos, en route for 
Delhi, we having at Calcutta paid for a through-ticket 
to that city, with the privilege of stopping on the road 
wherever we desired, not to exceed sixty days from the 
date of issue. We pass through endless fields of rice, 
wheat, and millet, orchards of bananas, tamarinds, and 
mangoes, the latter tree just now in bloom, filling the 
4iir with a perfume sweet as that of the acacia. In other 
fields are large herds of cattle, flocks of sheep, and goats. 
Occasionally we passed by groups of slender men and 
children upon the roadside. The few women w^hom we 
saw were gayly attired, with a profusion of silver orna- 
ments, ear-rings, nose-rings, and anklets. The surround- 
ings were so very pleasant that we regretted when night- 
fall came upon us. 

January 21s^. — This morning at ^y^ o'clock w'e ar- 
rive in the city of Lucknow, and put up at the Imperial 
Hotel, board ^yq rupees a day, and have good entertain- 
ment. Lucknow is beautifully situated on the banks of 
the river Goomtee, which is spanned by an iron bridge. 
Previous to the Sepoy mutiny, Lucknow was a purely 



242 AROUND THE WORLD. 

Oriental city of great extent and picturesque appearance. 
An intelligent writer, wlio visited Lucknow in 1856, 
thus describes the view from the river : " The city, which 
extends for several miles along the river-bank, seemed 
one mass of majestic and beautiful buildings of dazzling 
whiteness, crowned with domes of burnished gold, while 
scores of minarets were looming up in every direction ; 
the whole picture was like a dream of fairy-land ; but 
during the mutiny the city was bombarded by the Eng- 
lish troops and greatly injured, and the general features 
of the city have been much altered." 

The English settlement of Lucknow is very prettily 
built. The buildings are of brick, covered with stucco^ 
giving them the appearance of white marble, with beau- 
tiful gardens and macadamized roads. The city itself 
contains about three hundred thousand inhabitants. We 
made the best of our time by visiting some of the prin- 
cipal places of interest in the city, some of which I will 
briefly describe. 

The Martiniere is a peculiarly fantastic building of 
every species of architecture, adorned with stucco images, 
huge lions with lamps instead of eyes, mandarins, and a 
host of gods and goddesses. The interior contains some 
handsome apartments, many of them with frescoed ceil- 
ings. It was said to have been originally designed as a 
palace for the nawab; he, however, died before it was 
finished, and left funds for its endowment as a school, 
ordering his body to be buried under its floor; but, dur- 
ing the rebellion, the mutineers opened his tomb and 
scattered the remains. 



LUC KNOW AND G AWN PORE. 943 

We next proceed to the ruins of buildings destroyed 
in the mutiny, these remaining nearly in the same state 
they were when they were left ; and here for ^n^ months 
a little band of Christians held out, with unexampled 
courage and endurance, against hordes of well-armed^ 
well-provisioned, and ferocious enemies. All the build- 
ings are in a terribly shattered state, bearing numerous 
marks of shot and shell, and every point has a sad story 
connected with it. Here are shown the remains of a 
portico, in the fall of which some twenty or more brave 
soldiers were buried ; here is shown another room under- 
neath the ground, where the women and children took 
refuge from the hail of shot. Not far from this spot is 
the churchyard where those who perished during the 
siege were buried ; here is the grave of Sir Henry Law- 
rence, Major Banks, and many other English officers and 
soldiers. The church was nearly leveled to the ground 
during the siege. 

We hire a carriage and drive out some few miles into 
the country, to the garden-house formerly belonging to 
the King of Oude. In the garden was pointed out to 
us the tomb of Sir Henry Havelock, a plain obelisk with 
a long inscription. The country roads are level and 
beautifully macadamized. 

The King of Oude, whose possessions were the last 
to be seized by the East India Company, reigned here 
in great splendor. When the British authorities in- 
formed him that they required his extensive and rich 
dominions, and that he must lay down his sceptre and 
his crown, the govej'nor-general proposed to settle on 



244 ^ AROUND THE WORLD. 

him a large pension, but the king was reluctant to resign 
his authority, and refused to sign any deed of convey- 
ance. When compelled to retire, he sent his queen to 
England to plead his cause before Queen Victoria ; but 
before she returned the mutiny of 1857 broke out, and 
the king's fate was sealed. He now resides on the 
Hoogly, some two or three miles below Calcutta. By 
many this seizure of the territory of Oude, and the sale 
of the personal property of the king, are regarded as the 
immediate cause of the rebellion in which so much 
property was destroyed and life sacrificed, not only in 
Lucknow, but in numerous other places in India. Luck- 
now is where the torch of rebellion was first lio:hted, 
and shortly after its lurid glare was seen spreading like 
wildfire over many parts of the peninsula. 

January 22^?. — This morning we resume our tour 
by the ten-o'clock train ; at one o'clock we stop at Cawn- 
pore, situated on the banks of the Ganges, upon a flat 
and sandy plain. It is a large military station, and the 
cantonments comprise an area often miles, with a po}m- 
lation of seventy-five thousand, exclusive of the military 
and the European residents; there is, besides, accom- 
modation for seven thousand troops. This was the 
scene of some of the most fearful atrocities of the 
mutiny of 1857. CaAvnpore has acquired a melancholy 
interest in the eyes of every Englishman, if not the whole 
civilized world, and many tourists stop to visit the 
memorials which exist of those events. The sad story 
is familiar to most readers. 

Memorial Garden is a large sj)ot of ground inclosed, 



LUGKNOW AND CAWNPORE. 945 

neatly laid out, and beautifully kept. On a raised 
mound is the memorial erected over the well in wLieli 
a large number of Christians, chiefly women and chil- 
dren, were cast, by order of the rebel Nena Sahib, and 
left to die. It consists of a raised circular stone plat- 
form, on which is placed a statue of a female draped 
figure with wings, surrounded by a Gothic stone screen 
of beautiful design and workmanship. At the foot of 
the mound on either side are inclosures containing the 
tombs of those who fell in the battles fought in and 
around Cawnpore during the mutiny, '^o native is al- 
lowed, on any pretext whatever, to enter this garden 
without a permit from the authorities. 

About a mile from the river is the intrenchment 
in which General Wheeler, with his small band of 
soldiers, and the Europeans and half-caste residents, 
were assembled, and for twenty-one days held the city 
in the face of a continual fire from Nena's troops. No 
vestige of the intrenchment now remains, but the well 
into which the women and children v/ere thrown is still 
to be seen. 

The chief events of the mutiny centred at Cawnpore. 
This station was occupied by Sir Hugh Wheeler, with 
a small body of English troops, who had under their 
protection several hundred women and children, belong- 
ing chiefly to the city and neighborhood. Having no 
fortress, they intrenched themselves by throwing up 
earthworks on the open plain. There were two small 
buildings in the place which they occupied, with a piece 
of land less than an acre in size ; there were nine hun- 



246 AROUND THE WORLD. 

dred persons in all witliin this narrow space. The 
Sepoys opened upon them a murderous fire ; their pro- 
visions were falling short ; famine stared them in the 
face ; and, owing to the close confinement and the heat 
of the scorching sun, many of them were dying from 
day to day, while some went raving mad. At length 
the enemy began to pour red-hot shot within the en- 
campment, which fired and burned their buildings. 
During this fearful moment they received an ofl:er from 
the rebel leader, Nena Sahib, that if they would aban- 
don the intrenchments and the treasure which they had 
been guarding, the survivors should be furnished with 
boats and an escort to take them down the Gauges to 
Allahabad, where they would -have safe quarters, and 
be out of the reach of their foes. They declined this 
offer until the rebel had signed the contract, and con- 
firmed his promise with a solemn oath, which he did. 
Finally, conveyances were provided for taking the sick 
and wounded to the river, about a mile distant. They 
were getting into the boats, when, by the order of Nena 
Sahib, who betrayed his trust, a battery opened upon 
them, by which a large number were killed, and a few 
boats hastily rowed across the river, but tbey were after- 
ward captured by the Sepoys, the men all killed, and 
the women and children carried back to the camp to 
die a more cruel death. They were for several weeks 
incarcerated in a building scarcely large enough to con- 
tain them, where they were most shamefully and brutally 
treated by the Sepoy troops. A rumor having reached 
the rebels that an English military force was on the 



LUCKNOW AND (JAWNPORE. 247 

march from Allahabad to rescue the captives, an order 
was given at once that the women and children should 
be slain, doubtless not an unw^elcome order to those who 
were suffering a thousand deaths. At sunset, on the 
15th of July, 1857, volleys of shot were fired into the 
doors and windows of the building, until all were sup- 
posed to be dead. The next morning it was found that 
a number were still alive ; on being brought out in a 
frantic state, they either threw themselves or were 
thrown by the enemy into a large well, near the prison- 
house. The number of women and children who perished 
in this most brutal manner was nearly two hundred. 
The English army, under General Havelock, entered 
Cawnpore the day after this fearful massacre, driving 
out the rebels before them ; and when they reached the 
building in which the poor victims had been murdered, 
covered with blood, locks of hair, and pieces of torn 
garments, the soldiers were horrified, almost maddened, 
by the fearful sight, and killed every rebel within their 
reach. 

At Futtehghur, a few miles farther up the Ganges, 
General Wheeler and his men were intrenched. This 
place has long been one of the chief stations of Ameri- 
can mission-work; all the mission-buildings were de- 
stroyed by the rebels, the foreign residents either shot or 
put to the sword, the English officers being the first to 
suffer. The survivors, including four American mission- 
ary families, attempted to escape in boats, hoping to 
reach Allahabad. The Americans were Rev. Messrs. 
Freeman, Campbell, Johnson, and McMuUen, with theii^ 



248 AROUND THE WORLD. 

wives and cMldren, together Avitli others, amounting in 
all to one hundred and thirty persons. While floating 
down the Ganges with a swift current, they were con- 
stantly in fear of the natives; twice they were fired on^ 
and a lady and child killed. On the fourth day out, the 
boats ran aground upon a sand-bar. Not being able 
to get them off, the whole party went on shore and 
concealed themselves in the jungles or long grass, in 
constant fear of being captured by the enemy, and with 
little hope of escape. Here they engaged in prayer, 
making preparation for death, the missionaries earnestly 
exhorting them to put their trust in Him who would 
bring salvation even in death. On the following day 
they were discovered by a body of Sepoys, who made 
them prisoners, and took them to Cawnpore. They 
were tied together with ropes, and compelled to take up 
their march on foot ; they being nearly exhausted with 
long fasting and anxiety of mind, as night came on they 
were allowed to lie down upon the ground, in the open 
air, the Sepoys keeping guard over them to prevent 
their escape. Early the next morning they were marched 
into Cawnpore, before Nena Sahib, who instantly or- 
dered them to be drawn up in line on the parade-ground, 
where they were shot down. The record of these ter- 
rible scenes was derived from four native Christians, 
who were the only survivors. 

On leaving Cawnpore we go to Agra, one hundred and 
forty miles distant. On our arrival in this ancient city 
at midnight, we are driven from hotel to hotel, all over- 
filled ; finally, we succeed in getting into the Harrison 



LUCKNOW AND CAWNPORE. 249 

Hotel, with tlie express understan cling that we shall 
vacate our rooms on the arrival of his royal highness the 
Prince of Wales, for the rooms had all been engaged 
ahead. Accordingly, we were very glad to agree to this 
proposition. 
ir 



CHAPTEK XXIV. 

AGRA. 

January 2Sd. — Tlie city of Agra is beautifully situ- 
ated on the banks of the Jumna, and was formerly a 
walled town, with sixteen gates ; portions of the Avails 
and the ruins of five gates are still to be seen. Its cir- 
cumference within the walls is estimated to be about 
nine square miles. Agra was, until within the last few 
years, the seat of the Government of the Northwestern 
Provinces, which has since been transferred to Alla- 
habad. The civil station and the English military can- 
tonments occupy a large space of ground not far distant 
from the ancient town. 

The fortress is an immense structure, of irregular 
form, a mile and a half in circumference, situated on the 
river-front, and contains the palace. Its massive walls 
on the side next to the river are sixty feet in height. 
From the top we obtained a magnificent view of the 
river, city, and country. The entire structure is sur- 
rounded by numerous turrets, and a moat, thirty feet 
wide, paved with stone. We entered by the north gate- 
way, an imposing structure, flanked by two enormous 
towers, continued inward by a range of buildings show- 
ing a beautiful succession of alternate niches in the walls,, 
and small arched openings covered with carvings and 




EXTERIOR OF THE FORT. 



p. 250. 



AGBA. 251 

mosaic- work. From tliis gate through which wc ride 
into the inclosure, a paved-way ascent leads to the noble 
court-yard, five hundred feet by three hundred and 
seventy, siUTounded by arcades. On the one side we 
entered the judgment-seat of Akbar, a splendid hall, 
one hundred and eighty feet long by sixty broad. It 
is an open portico, the roof resting on three rows of 
pillars, with circular ceilings. The alcove is in the 
centre of the hall, where Akbar sat to pronounce judg- 
ment. This alcove is a pavilion of white marble, beau- 
tifully carved in recesses, containing three sculptured 
marble chairs inlaid with mosaics. A door back of the 
throne leads to the private hall of audience. It consists 
of an oblong room of white marble most beautifully 
carved, and inlaid with precious stones ; many of them, 
however, have been taken out, either by the multitude 
of visitors or the natives themselves. The adjoining 
room is an immense court, two hundred and thiity-five 
feet by seventy, formerly the sitting-room for the ladies. 
It is surrounded by a colonnade which they were deco- 
rating with evergreens, flowers, lanterns, and flags, in 
which to give a ball to the Prince of Wales on his 
arrival in the city. 

This magnificent fortification and palace combined 
was built by the grandson of Akbar I. This emperor 
gave a festival on its completion, which, according to 
tradition, cost over a million dollars, and although he 
expended hundreds of millions upon his army, he had 
in his treasury when he died more than a hundred 
million dollars of coined money, gold and silver, be- 



252 AROUND THE WORLD. 

sides a large accumulation of valuable jewels and pre- 
cious stones. 

Near tlie judgment-hall, just described, stands the 
Pearl Mosque, a beautiful specimen of architecture of 
the finest white marble, the interior exquisitely carved 
and inlaid with precious stones, chaste and simple, but 
beautiful beyond description. It can be compared to no 
other edifice that I have ever seen ; to the eye it is 
absolutely perfect. An inscription upon a marble slab 
represents this mosque to have been constructed by 
Shah Jehan in the year 1656. It occupies one side of 
a court one hundred feet square, paved with white- 
marble blocks, and surrounded by a beautiful marble 
cloister elegantly carved in panels. 

Among the wonders of the palace are curious under- 
ground passages, where the ladies are said to have played 
hide-and-seek to amuse the emperor. One of these is 
thought to communicate with the Taj Mahal, and also 
an old house in ruins in the cantonment. At the end 
of one of these passages is a deep well, said to have been 
used to put the unfaithful ones in who were sentenced 
to death. Two soldiers, some years ago, fell down this 
well, and were either killed by the fall or starved to 
death, as their bodies were not found until several days 
afterward ; the authorities after this gave orders to have 
the passage bricked up. 

From the fort we drive to the Taj Mahal, about a 
mile distant, over a good road. We enter first the outer 
court, an oblong inclosure about four hundred and fifty 
feet in depth, surrounded by arches, and having four 



AGFA. 253 

gateways. The principal gateway led us into the grand 
inclosure, which is beautifully laid out with stately trees, 
shrubs, floAver-beds, and fish-ponds, and is kept in order 
by the Government. The Taj Mahal is raised on a plat- 
form of red sandstone, measuring nine hundred and sixty- 
four feet by three hundred and twenty-nine, fronting on 
the river. Two mosques occupied the court, one on the 
east and the other on the west end ; like the tow^ers, 
they are of red sandstone inlaid with white marble. 
The plan of the Taj is an irregular octagon one hundred 
and thirty feet in lengtli and seventy in breadth, with 
an immense higli ceiling and marble floors. 

The Taj Mahal was erected by the Emperor Shah 
Jehan for his highly-esteemed queen, Mumtaz Mahal, as 
a tomb, in whicli they now both sleep side by side. She 
died before him, in giving birth to a child ; it is stated 
that, as slie felt her life ebbing away, she sent for the 
emperor, and told him she only had two requests to 
make : first, that he would not take another wife and 
have children to contend with hers; and the second, 
that he would build for her a handsome tomb, to per- 
petuate her memory. The emperor, who was devotedly 
attached to ber, at once set about complying with her 
last request. The tomb was commenced immediately 
after the queen's death, in tbe year 1630, upon which 
twenty thousand workmen were employed for twenty- 
two years in its erection, at a cost of fifteen million 
dollars. The two tombs, w^hich lie side by side, are 
of the purest white marble, exquisitely inlaid with 
blood-stone, agate, carnelian, jasper, and other precious 



254 



AROUND THE WORLD. 



stones, and surrounded by a white-marble screen, elab- 
orately cut in open-work, interwoven with vines and 
flowers of the most intricate ornamental designs and 
workmanship, the finest that I have ever seen in any 
part of the world, and is acknowledged by every trav- 




THC TAJ MAHAL, FKO^I TUE lOUNTAIN 



eler to be unrivaled, and the sight of this alone declared 
by many to be worth a journey around the world. An 
Englishman made the remark: ''It is a sanctuary so 
pure and stainless, revealing so exalted a spirit of Mo- 
hammedan worship, that I feel humbled as a Christian 



AGRA. 255 

in thanking God that our own religion has never in- 
spired its architects to surpass this noble temple of 
splendor and magnificence." 

The two tombs, the monuments of display, are placed 
in the grand hall above the ground-floor, which is a 
lofty rotunda, lighted both from the dome above, and 
below by screens of open marble wrought in vines, and 
ornamented with a wainscoting of sculptured tablets 
representing clusters of white lilies. The dome of the 
Taj Mahal contains an echo more sweet and pure and 
prolonged than that in the Baptistery of Pisa, which is 
the finest in Europe, and doubtless this is the finest in 
the world. A single musical note, uttered by the voice 
sounds very loud, and floats overhead in a long tone 
fading away so slowly, that we imagine we still hear 
it when all is silence. The hall, notwithstanding the 
precious materials of which it is built, and its elab- 
orate finish, assumes a grave and solemn effect. Some 
tourists, on first entering this solemn chamber, have been 
known to burst suddenly into tears, and it has the ten- 
dency to thrill almost every person with emotions of 
solemnity, if not to bring moisture to his eyes. 

The Taj Mahal is surrounded by a beautiful park 
about a quarter of a mile square, fronting on the river, 
planted with choicest Oriental trees, shrubs, and flowers, 
with several fountains scattered through the park, throw- 
ing a profusion of jets into the air, which, as the sun 
shone upon them, represented a shower of diamonds. 
This park or garden is surrounded by a high wall, 
and entered by a magnificent gateway, covered by a 



256 AROUND THE WORLD. 

building from fifty to sixty feet in height, which is 
admired by all for its architectural grandeur, and beauty 
of the carving and mosaic ornamentation. We entered 
beneath this majestic arched gateway on going to the 
Taj Mahal. On the river-side of this garden rises a 
terrace of red sandstone twenty feet in height, and a 
thousand feet in length, the walls of hewn stone. At 
the extreme left of this terrace stands a magnificent 
mosque. It is the place of prayer for the faithful who 
come to visit the tomb. 

Here upon the lofty terrace of sandstone rises an 
additional terrace of pure white marble of cut blocks 
laid in courses, forming a building three hundred feet 
square. At each of its four corners there stands a cir- 
cular marble minaret about thirty feet in diameter^ 
gradually diminishing in size to the height of one hun- 
dred and fifty feet, and crowned with an open cupola 
commanding a magnificent view of the surrounding 
country. In the centre of this marble terrace, or rather 
in the building, is a fountain in which the Mohammedans 
go to wash and purify themselves before entering the 
sacred tombs of the Taj Mahal, which is an ancient cus- 
tom connected with their religion. 

Shah Jehan commenced to build a new palace for 
himself on the opposite side of the river from the Taj 
Mahal, intending to connect the two edifices by a bridge 
spanning the stream, but the civil war shortly after 
broke out, which led to his fall, and cut short the un- 
dertaking. 

To the northeast of the city, higher up the river, and 



AGRA. 257 

on the opposite side of it, is situated what is called the 
Garden of Rest, one of the oldest garden inelosures in 
Agra, and which w^as the garden palace of Nur Afshan, 
and is laid out somewhat in the same style as the Taj 
Mahal gardens, with stone and marble pavilions, which, 
it is said, are often occupied by picnic-parties coming 
from a distance. 

It is related that Abkar founded this city by build- 
ing a splendid residence and capital out of his private 
fortune, from what was then a complete waste : but he 
did not long occupy it, as the people came pouring in on 
account of its beautiful locality, and constructed many 
costly residences. The saint found his devotions inter- 
fered wdth by the bustle and crowding around him, but 
before leaving for more secluded quarters he named the 
city Agra. 

January 2^t]i. — This morning we w^ere notified by 
the proprietor of the hotel that his royal highness the 
Prince of Wales was expected to arrive in the city some 
time during the afternoon, and that our rooms, w^hich 
were taken on conditions, would be required ; but, if we 
thought proper to remain over, he would furnish us rooms 
in an old bungalow^, in one corner of the garden, w^hich 
was covered with a thatched roof As soon as I saw the 
place it reminded me of the snakes of India falling from 
the rafters, and I declined the invitation of our host to 
remove into it. But, fortunately, we saw the eighty ele- 
phants standing on the public square in readiness for 
the royal tourist, covered with scarlet blankets, trimmed 
with gold and silver lace, wdth gilded chairs upon their 



258 AROUND THE WORLD. 

backs, and their drivers dressed in ricli uniform, and a 
profusion of flags displayed from tlie fortress, the house- 
tops, and all kinds of banners posted up along the streets 
and roadside. 

We leave by the half-past ten o'clock train en route for 
Delhi. We ride fourteen miles to Tundla, and make a 
change of cars upon the East India Railway. Some hills 
vs^hich we cross are without irrigation— the soil looks as 
dead as if it never had any life; but, where the water 
has reached the land by the system of irrigation, the 
crops are in a flourishing condition. Deficient in indus- 
try as in energy, the natives sit on the ground ^vhen they 
use the sickle ; they have no modern agricultural im- 
provements or machinery. The country generally bears 
the same aspect as the plain of the Ganges. As we pass 
along through the jungles, occasionally we see large herds 
of deer, and great numbers of very large birds of dif- 
ferent colors and species, comparatively tame. As the 
cars hummed along, they made but little effort to fly; 
some of them, as they stood upon their feet, stretching 
up their necks, appeared from three to four feet high. 
The birds of India, on the whole, are admitted to be of 
a class remarkable both for splendor of color and grace- 
fulness of form. The reason of game being so tame is 
that the natives use no fire-arms, and, even if they did, 
to take life would be a direct violation of their relig- 
ious teachings. 

We arrived in the city of Delhi at six o'clock in the 
afternoon, and were conveyed to the United Service Ho- 
tel, which is decidedly the best hotel in the city. We 



AGIiA. 259 

were furnislied witli two large rooms and a bath for ten 
rupees a day for us two. The house was kept by a Mo- 
hammedan, who was very polite, and made every effort 
to entertain us in the best possible manner. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



DELHI. 



January ^bth. — The city of Delhi was built by Sliab 
Jehan, about the middle of the seventeenth century. 
Leaving Agra, which had been chiefly constructed by his 
grandfather, the renowned Akbar, during a revolution 
in the country, he fled to Delhi and laid the foundation 
of this gorgeous capital. It is inclosed by a wall of red 
granite, five and a half miles in circuit, and is entered by 
twelve strongly -fortified gates, the principal of which are 
named the Calcutta, Cashmere, and Lahore Gates. 

Before the present city was built, Delhi at different 
periods occupied various sites within a circuit of twenty 
miles or more, most of which space is now covered with 
ruins. One monument, the loftiest single column in the 
world, yet remains in a good state of preservation about 
ten miles outside of the walled city, in the midst of 
magnificent ruins of which there is no satisfactory ac- 
count given in the records of India. Old Delhi, as it is 
called, the last-forsaken site, is in a tolerably good state 
of preservation. The walls remain, and much of the an- 
cient city is standing, but its public halls are deserted. 
Wherever the former kings built their fortified palaces, 
there the nobles clustered around, and the surrounding 
inhabitants also followed, both on account of trade, and 



DIUJII. 261 

the better protection afforded against wandering and 
barbarous tribes of robbers. 

One principal street, called Chandi Cbowk, one hun- 
dred and twenty feet wide, divides the ancient town from 
the modern. It is the principal boulevard of Delhi, 
crowded with people from early morning until night, 
and there is no street in India where there is more of an 
Asiatic display made. Hundreds of camels and elephants 
may be seen arriving and departing with heavy back- 
loads of produce and merchandise. On either side of 
this boulevard are shops and warehouses of the wealthy 
merchants. The centre is a broad terrace or promenade, 
shaded with acacias and other ornamental trees. This 
promenade is thronged with people in all the varied cos- 
tumes peculiar to different regions of Asia. Other parts 
of the city are equally curious in their way. The peo- 
ple, after sunset, assemble on the roofs of their dwellings 
to enjoy the cool of the evening. 

January ^^th. — This morning early we engaged an 
experienced guide, and, in company with a party of 
ladies and gentlemen, started off upon a picnic-excursion 
some eleven miles distant in the country, taking luncheon 
with us. We procured three large double teams, rode 
as far as Kootub, where we left the gharries^ and took a 
relay of bullocks and rode in ox-carts to Toogluckabad, 
where luncheon was prepared for the party in what is 
called a dak bungalow. This style of bungalow is to 
be found on all the principal roads in India, about one 
day's journey distant from each other, for the accommo- 
dation of pilgrims. They contain no furniture, excepting 



262 AROUND THE WORLD. 

a pine table, a tin cup, a bucket, and a bedstead, and are 
always open to the weary and tho::e wbo are desirous of 
stopping overniglit. The bullock-cart in the interior of 
India is the principal conveyance. It is said that a good 
pair of bullocks will travel in a day as far as an ordinary 
span of horses. Our bullocks went on a fast trot, with- 
out stopping, the entire distance. 

Toogluckabad was once a large city, but is now 
covered with a complete mass of ruins. The place 
derived its name from Toogluck, a former prince, who 
ruled over the people, and was the most furious tyrant 
that ever reimed. The ruins of the old fortification are 
most interesting. The fortress stood on a rocky emi- 
nence, covering a very large space, and was built of 
massive blocks of stone, so large and heavy that they 
must have been quarried on the ground. The thick 
walls are double, with a ditch between. The ramparts 
are raised, with rooms arched over, which doubtless 
formed the quarters of the troops that garrisoned the 
fort. The walls slope inward, similar to those in the 
Egyptian style of architecture, and are ]3ierced with 
loop-holes, which serve to give light and air. This fort 
has thirteen gates, and there are three inner gates to the 
citadel, which contains seven tanks of water. 

January ^ItJi. — This forenoon we ride out to the 
palace and citadel, extending for a mile along the river- 
front. It is a mile and a half in circuit, and is inclosed 
on three sides by a wall of red stone forty feet high, 
flanked with turrets and cupolas. It is entered by two 
noble gateways. Entering by the Lahore Gate, we pass 



DELHI. 268 

under an arch, leading to the court-yard. In front of 
the entrance, at the distance of about one hundred paces, 
is the Music Hall. Beyond and facing this building is 
the Hall of Public Audience. In the wall is a staircase 
that leads up to the throne, raised about ten feet from 
the ground-floor ; it is covered by a canopy supj^orted 
on four pillars of white marble, the whole being curi- 
ously inlaid with mosaic-work ; behind the throne is a 
doorway by which the emperor entered from his private 
apartments. The whole of the wall behind the throne 
is covered with mosaic paintings, in precious stones, of 
some of the most beautiful flowers, of vines, fruits, birds^ 
and beasts. 

We next enter the hall of Dewan-i-Khas, in which 
the emperor gave free audience to all who had any 
petition or cause to present. It is a square marble 
pavilion, with an elevated throne on one side, supported 
by pillars of stone, the wall beautifully inlaid with mo- 
saic flowers. One side of this hall opens on the court ; 
the second side faces on the palace-gardens; the third 
side commands a flne view of the river Jumna, which 
flows near the palace-grounds; while the fourth rests 
upon the walls of the zenana. On the side of the zenana, 
which is now closed, stood the famous " Peacock Throne," 
which, in the time of the Mogul dynasty, was the ad- 
miration, if not the envy, of the world. This throne 
was taken away in 1759 by Nadir Shah, the Persian 
conqueror, by whom the gold that came off the canopy 
was melted down, the value of which, together with 
the precious stones, was estimated at upward of ten 



264 AROUND THE WORLD. 

million rupees. The Peacock Throne is thus described 
by a writer who ^vitnessed it : 

'' The throne was six feet long and four feet broad, 
comjDosed of solid gold, inlaid with precious gems. It 
was surmounted by a gold canopy supported on twelve 
pillars of the same material, and around the canopy hung 
a fringe of pearls ; on each side of the throne stood two 
umbrellas, symbols of royalty, covered with crimson 
velvet richly embroidered with gold-thread, and clotted 
with pearls, with handles of solid gold, eight feet long, 
studded with diamonds. The back of the throne was 
a representation of the expanded tail of a peacock, 
the natural colors of which were imitated by sapphires, 
rubies, emeralds, diamonds, and other brilliant gems of 
great value, perhaps more so than in any other temple 
in the world, except Solomon's in the holy city of Jeru- 
salem." 

The Persian invader and tyrant. Nadir Shah, who 
not only stripped the palace of all its valuables, but sat 
on the throne just described, ordered the slaughter of 
nearly a hundred thousand of the helpless inhabitants 
of Delhi : men, women, and children, were put to the 
sword, filling the streets and avenues w ith their innocent 
blood. Walking over this marble floor, worn through 
in places by the millions of footsteps, once the scene of 
imperial magnificence, and in which so many cruel deeds 
were perpetrated, we were forcibly reminded of the his- 
tory of the Jewish war, and the great Temple of Jeru- 
salem, where there had been exhibited so many scenes of 
grandeur, glory, cruelty, and humiliation, culminating at 



DELHI. 265 

length in final destruction. It has been well said that, 
if there ever was a paradise on the face of the earth, 
it was the city of Delhi when she was in the height of 
her glory. 

Leaving the throne-room, we pass on to an adjacent 
apartment containing the royal baths, surmounted by 
domes — looms of the purest white marble, with inlaid 
borders, marble floors, and tanks, and a fountain in each 
room ; there is much simplicity in their arrangement, and 
yet they are chaste and beautiful to behold. 

January 2Sth. — This morning, conducted by our ex- 
perienced guide, who is conversant with the history of 
all that concerns this ancient city, w^e ride out to the 
Juiuma Musjid, accounted one of the grandest mosques 
in the East. It is situated on a small, rocky eminence, 
overlooking the city. Its court is four hundred and 
fifty feet square, paved with red stone, and entered on 
three sides by handsome gateways, easily approached by 
flights of steps. In the centre of the square is a reservoir 
or fountain of water. The edifice is very imposing, and, 
with its lofty minarets, forms one of the most striking 
objects in Delhi. From its summit we had a view^ be- 
fore us of the entire city and surroundings. This mosque 
is two hundred feet in length, and one hundred and 
twenty feet broad, surmounted by three superb domes 
and two minarets. It was constructed under the super- 
vision of Shah Jehan, and was ten years in building. 
The interior is faced with plain white marble ; that part 
which indicates the direction of the shrine of Mecca is a 
handsome niche, adorned with a profusion of rich fanc}'- 

18 



266 AROUND THE WORLD. 

work, and appears to Lave been cut out of a solid piece 
of Avlnte marl.^le ; at about equal distances apart, there 
are three projecting galleries. 

Leaving the mosque, we rode through the Cashmere 
Gate, with its battered portals and crumbling parapets, 
and followed the road leading to the Flag-staff Tower. 
On the way we passed by the cemetery in which is the 
grave of Nicholson, who captured Delhi during the 
mutiny of 1857. Immediately above the cemetery is 
Ludlow Castle; some distance beyond, on the right, we 
passed by Sir T. Metcalf's handsome residence on the 
banks of the eTumna. To the left, crowning the height, 
we approached the Flag-staff Tower, into which, during 
the mutiny, the women and children flocked for pro- 
tection. Keturning, we passed through the site of the 
great battle-field. We also saw the observatory, now 
in ruins. Near this is a handsome monument erected to 
the memory of the victims who fell in the massacre. 
Between this monument and the observatory is one of 
Asoka's pillars, dating, from the inscription found en- 
graved thereon, two hundred years before the Christian 
era. In the year 1766, by the explosion of a powder- 
magazine, it was thrown down and broken into Ave 
pieces. After the mutiny it was restored and set up by 
the British Government. 

Not far from the city- walls we come to the shaft or 
monument of red stone known as the Lat. This stone 
is in one single piece, forty feet high and ten feet in 
thickness at its base, gradually tapering to the top. All 
around it lie the massive ruins of an old palace. This 



DELIIL 26r 

«haft, or Lat, as it is called, bears an inscription of a very 
ancient character, whicli was entirely unintelligible to 
the most learned Brahmans, but more recently European 
skill has deciphered the writing, which proves to consist 
of certain edicts for the furtherance of religion and 
virtue, put forth by a king named Dhuma Asoka Piya- 
dasi, who reigned 322 b. c. This saint must have changed 
his character after he ascended the throne, since he 
ordered ninety of his relatives who had prior claims to 
be put to death. This shaft is, therefore, twenty-two 
hundred years old, and the inscription upon it is proba- 
bly the oldest writing in India. 

We now come to the old Pathan Fort, inclosed by 
walls sixty feet high ; at each angle is a circular bastion^ 
and in the middle of each side a gateway, defended by 
two towers pierced with loop-holes. Witbin the fort is 
a mosque, a building of excellent design and rich work- 
manship. The front is of red stone inlaid with marble 
and colored stone, and ornamented with projecting bal- 
conies supported by elegant brackets. It is crowned 
with three domes, the central one very lofty. 

January ^^tJi. — This morning early, accompanied by 
our guide, we rode out to the Kootub Minar, eleven 
miles from the hotel. It is reputed to be the loftiest 
column in the world. Kootub Minar is a fluted pillar 
two hundred and forty feet in height, and about eighty 
feet in circumference at the base, gradually diminishing 
to forty feet at the summit. It is divided into five 
stories by projecting balconies, which surround the tower 
and add much to its beauty. The lower story is ninety- 



268 



AROUND THE WORLD. 



five feet in height from the base, the second fifty feet 
above the first, the third forty feet above the second, the 
fourth twenty-five feet above the third, and the fifth 
fifteen feet above the fourth. For what purpose it was 
erected no one can tell. This column is in a good state 




THE KOOTUB MINAR. 



of preservation, and its summit is reached by three .hun- 
dred and seventy-five steps. Looking up from its base, 
I thouo^ht it too hig^h to ascend throu^rh a circular stair- 
way ; but Mrs. Winants, having more of a passion for 
climbing, ventured up, and on descending said the view 



DELHI. 269 

from the summit of the column more than compensated 
her for the fiitigue she endured. 

Within a few hundred feet of the Kootub Minar are 
numerous carved fragments of the Musjid-i-Kootub-ul-Is- 
1am, which was erected as the grand mosque of old Delhi. 
It was constructed by its Mohammedan conqueror, at 
the close of the twelfth century, from the spoils of twenty- 
seven Hindoo temples. Some of the arches and pillars 
are beautifully sculptured. In the centre of the court 
stands the celebrated Iron Pillar, surrounded by clusters 
of columns of infinite variety and design, and of the most 
delicate workmanship. There are three entrances to the 
large court. The Iron Pillar alluded to is a solid shaft 
of mixed metal, sixteen inches in diameter; it stands 
twenty-two feet above the ground-surface, and as far be- 
low-ground. The history of the shaft is as follows: 
Rajah Pathora, fearing the fall of his dynasty, consulted 
the Brahmans as to what steps should be taken to insure 
its continuance. He was informed that, if he sunk an 
iron shaft into the ground, it would pierce the head of 
the snake-god Lishay, who supported the world, and his 
kingdom would endure forever. The pillar was accord- 
ingly constructed. How long the shaft remained undis- 
turbed is not mentioned ; but the rajah, either distrust- 
ing his priestly advisers, or desirous of seeing for him- 
self whether the snake had been touched, had the pillar 
taken up, and, finding the end of it covered with blood, 
ordered the pillar to be again inserted in the ground. 
His Brahman friends now told him that the sceptre 
would soon pass away from the hands of the Hindoo 



270 AROUND THE WORLD. 

sovereign — that tlie charm was broken. Shortly after 
this, Shihab-ud-clin took possession of the kingdom, and 
from that time no Hindoo king has reigned in the great 
city of Delhi. 

Sekander Sani, consisting of a cluster of buildings, is 
the next place we visited. We entered a gateway with 
pointed horseshoe arches. The building within the court 
is surrounded by massive screens of marble lattice-work, 
and the whole structure surmounted by a dome. From 
here we were invited to visit the " Tank," about one 
hundred paces distant, partly inclosed by a wall eighty 
feet high, from the top of which some iive or six nearly- 
naked natives leaped into the water one by one. After 
reaching terra firma each in turn held out his hand for 
money in reward for the performance, for which visitors 
are expected to pay, and it is a feat that every traveler 
should witness. They sprang ^vith outstretched arms 
and legs, and kept in this position until within about 
twenty or thirty feet from the water, when they sud- 
denly straightened themselves upright, plunged feet fore- 
most into the tank, and soon reappeared swimming on 
the surface. 

Delhi, with her noble fort and splendid palaces, her 
stupendous mosques, her battered walls and public halls, 
once the pride of India, is a grand desolation, covered 
with ruins, which it would require volumes to describe 
and months to explore. 

It is conceded by many travelers that the wonderful 
ruins spread over Northern India are of greater interest 
to the tourist than any existing in the world, excepting 



DELITL 271 

those of Palestine and Egypt, wliich are more intimately 
connected with the world's sacred history. 

We called upon the Kev. Dr. Smith, who cordially 
received us, and gave much information concerning the 
missionary work in which he has been engaged at this 
post for the last twenty-live years. He not only preaches 
some three or four times a week to the natives, but has 
much to do with the municipal business of the city. The 
Queen's Gardens are also committed to his care, with 
their menageries and all that pertains to them. 

When Dr. Smith entered Delhi, in 1850, he made his 
first convert in this place, and had to preach in a very 
small room. Now he has a flourishing church, with six 
hundred members, of which four hundred or more are 
communicants, and the mission is self-sustaining. He 
has also charge of a flourishing school, where several 
native young men have been fitted for the ministry, and 
sent out to preach the gospel truth to their countrymen. 
By this means, in a circuit of fifty miles or more, several 
additional churches have been established. Dr. Smith 
is accustomed to go over this circuit at least twice a year, 
visiting the churches and administering to their spiritual 
welfare. He said that the country churches were chiefly 
conducted by native preachers, who had much greater 
influence and made more converts than foreign mission- 
aries, but they require more monetary means to carry 
on the work successfully ; as to laborers in the missionary 
field they have a good supply. 

Dr. Smith's excellent wife, a lady of rare culture and 
refinement, and great energy of character, together with 



272 ABOUND THE WORLD. 

some four or five other women, conducts tlie Zenana Mis- 
sion, and has free access to over eighty Mohammedan 
2:irls, who are instructed in letters and needle-work. The 
ladies of this mission, who go out daily among the zena- 
nas, are generally cordially received, and many of the 
wealthy natives express an earnest desire that their wives 
and daughters may be instructed. This institution is 
not altogether new ; its specific form was adopted some 
fifteen years ago by the Woman's Union Missionary So- 
ciety of America for Heathen Lands, which is spreading 
over most of the large cities of India, and whose head- 
quarters are at Calcutta. It is a work of great impor- 
tance to the women of India, who are so little esteemed 
by the male sex, as it brings them, in closer connection 
with the influence of the Christian religion. 

Since the mutiny of 1857, by which the city of Delhi 
was greatly damaged, the English Government has made 
many improvements. The Queen's Gardens, in the mid- 
dle of the town, are laid out with much taste, beautified 
by fine roads and walks, and ornamented with flowers, 
shrubs, and shade-trees. A costly memorial church has 
been erected within the inclosure to commemorate those 
who fell in the terrible revolt, which burst upon the city 
with such terrific force. 

The insurrection commenced at Meerut, about forty- 
five miles distant. After the massacre of the Europeans — 
men, women, and children — at that place, the Sepoys set 
out in a body for Delhi, where the native troops joined 
them, leaving the fortifications with only a few English 
offi'jers, many of whom were slaughtered l^y the insur- 



DELTIL 273 

gents. The magazine, whicli contained an enormous sup- 
ply of powder, guns, and other implements of war, was 
in charge of Lieutenant Willoughby. Seeing the state 
of affairs, he closed and barricaded the gates, and then, 
laying a train of gunpowder, prepared to blow up the 
arsenal should resistance prove unavailing. Only nine 
English officers kept thousands of Sepoys at bay, until 
at length, completely exhausted, and likely to be over- 
powered by the enemy, the match was applied, and more 
than a thousand mutineers were blown into the air. All 
the Europeans in the city who had not made their escape 
were massacred by the Sepoys. The English families 
were tied in rows, and then shot and sabred without 
mercy. Those who escajDed suffered fearfully — tender 
women and helpless children wandering for days under 
the burning sun, lying down at night in the jungles in 
constant fear of the enemy. At this time the city of 
Delhi fell completely into the hands of the rebels; but 
it was not long after when it was recaptured by the 
English troops, an exj^loit conceded to have been one of 
the most brilliant and heroic achievements in the history 
of Indian warfare. 

January ^OiJi. — This being the Sabbath, we availed 
ourselves of the opj)ortunity of attending divine service 
at Rev. Dr. Smith's church, a neat and comfortable edi- 
fice, beautifully situated in an open space about a mile 
out from the city-walls. The first service was in the 
native language. The church was entirely filled with 
natives, who were neatly clad in the costume of the 
country. The second sermon was in English, the con- 



274 AROUND THE WORLD. 

gregation consisting chiefly of British officers and sol- 
diers. 

January ?>lst. — We now, having reached the remotest 
point of our journey inland, and over a thousand miles 
from the sea, turn our faces homeward by the East India 
Railway 11.30 a. m. train for Bombay, distant twelve 
hundred and thirty -four miles; fare one hundred and 
eleven rupees each, with the privilege of stopping 
and remaining over at any place on the road. At a 
quarter-past twelve o'clock we arrived at Gareeabad^ 
thirteen miles below Delhi, where there is a road branch- 
ing off to the Himalaya Mountains, distant sixty miles by 
rail and thirty by bullock-carts, where we had a strong 
desire to go ; but we were informed, by those who had 
just returned from the mountains, that the snow was 
deep and the weather cold, therefore we reluctantly de- 
clined making the trip. On our arrival in Southern 
India, we found the weather so extremely hot that we 
concluded to send our heavy trunks, containing all our 
thick clothing, by ship to Bombay, which we were to 
receive on our arrival at that place. Hence we were not 
prepared to encounter cold weather. 

A few days can be profitably spent in the Himalayas^ 
the loftiest peak of which. Mount Everest, is represented 
to be a little over twenty-nine thousand feet high, the 
greatest mountain altitude in the world ; but they are 
not popular as a winter resort. During the hot season 
they are visited by the rajahs, princes, and English noble- 
men, who have fine summer residences scattered over the 
hill-country, devoting their time principally to hunting 



DELHI. 275 

wild game, with all kinds of which, such as wild ele- 
phants, leopards, tigers, wolves, Avild-cats, etc., it is said 
the mountains are infested. But, during the winter, the 
entire region is nearly deserted, being visited only by 
tourists in search of novelty. 

As we proceed down the road, on our way toward 
Bombay, we occasionally encounter large herds of deer, 
antelope, and numerous flocks of large birds, seemingly 
as tame as if they had never heard a gun. As night is 
coming on, our car is lit up, and Ave commence to un- 
bundle our bedding, spreading it out in the best possible 
manner upon the lengthy seats for an all-night's ride. 
The days in India at this season are extremely hot, but 
the nights, especially just before dawn of day, we found 
were chilly. 

February 1st. — This morning, at seven o'clock, we 
find ourselves in Allahabad, three hundred and ninety 
miles from Delhi, having been nineteen hours on the 
passage from the latter place. We are driven to the 
Northwestern Hotel, where we have good quarters for 
five rupees a day for each person. This hotel is pleas- 
antlv situated and v/ell conducted. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



ALLAHABAD. 



The city of Allahabad is situated on a tongue of land 
formed by the confluence of the Jumna and Ganges 
Rivers, and is considered by the Hindoos as one of the 
most sacred localities in India, being venerated by them 
as the place where three rivers join, only two of these 
streams being visible to mortal eyes ; the third, they 
assert, flows direct from paradise ! 

Allahabad, a name given to the place by the Moham- 
medan conquerors, means the " City of God." When a 
pilgrim arrives here, the first thing he does is to repair 
to the river and sit down upon the bank ; he then has 
his head and body closely shaved, so that each hair may 
fall into the water, the sacred writings promising him 
one million years' residence in paradise for every hair 
deposited in the water ! After shaving, he bathes, to 
wash his sins away. 

The fort, built by Akbar, rises directly from the 
banks of the two rivers, which situation rendered it 
in former days nearly impregnable. It covers a large 
ground-surface, and has been a very noble castle in its 
time, but has suffered greatly by cannon-balls and other 
missiles. It is still, however, a striking place, and its 
principal entrance is surmounted by a dome, with a 



ALLAHABAD. 277 

wide hall, surrounded by arcades and galleries. With- 
in the in closure is the hall occupied by Akbar. The 
Europeans took refuge in this old fort during the mutiny 
of 1857, many of whom fell victims to cholera brought 
on by privation and suffering. 

Allahabad has acquired much importance within a 
few years by the removal of the capital from Agra to 
this place. Aside from the old city a new one has been 
laid out, with broad avenues and spacious squares ; and 
large public buildings, including some of the finest bar- 
racks in India, have recently been finished. Many beau- 
tiful bungalows have also been erected, surroimded by 
extensive gardens, planted with ornamental shade-trees 
and flowers, giving the dwellings a cheerful and pretty 
appearance. In the mutiny of 1857 every foreign resi- 
dence and every public building was destroyed, except- 
ing the Masonic Hall, which the natives did not dare 
to attack, on account of the spirits that were supposed 
to guard it. The ancient city of Allahabad is of con- 
siderable extent, but is poorly built, the houses being 
low, and the streets narrow and winding. 

Allahabad has lono^ been known as a mission-field 
of the American Presbyterian Church. It is the chief 
place of pilgrimage, and, through the multitudes that 
gather here every year, an influence may be sent out to 
every part of India by those who come here to wash 
their sins away in the holy waters of the Ganges and 
Jumna, this being to the Hindoos the most sacred spot 
in the world. 

The bridge over the Jumna is one of the attrac- 



278 AROUND THE WORLD. 

tions of Allaliabad, the river being about a half-mile 
broad at this point. The bridge is one of the finest 
in the world, being entirely of wronght-iron, and thirty- 
two hundred and twenty -four feer long; there are 
fifteen openings in it, each two hundred and fiYe feet 
in the clear. The construction of this bridge is con- 
sidered a great triumph of engineering skill. The bed 
of the river is very treacherous, owing to the loose ma- 
terial and the rapid current at this point. The immense 
piers are sunk fifty feet below the level of low water, 
a.nd the water at the time of a freshet in the river rises 
here from forty-five to fifty feet, so that these stupendous 
stone piers must necessarily be one hundred feet high 
merely to lift the bridge above high water. The rail- 
way is carried over on top of the iron girders, and the 
public carriage-road is underneath. The I'ailway is 
carried on a viaduct for a long distance after leaving the 
bridge, the former being almost as fine a work as the 
bridge itself, constructed as it is on lofty arches. The 
East India Kail way and the Grand Trunk road both have 
depots in this city. It has become an important railway 
centre, and is the very focus of the great railway system 
of Hindostan, which unites Bengal, Northern India, and 
Bombay. 

The two great rivers that here unite are navigable 
for steamers for a long distance, and the Ganges from 
here to Calcutta has a fall of only ^lyq inches to the mile. 
This lordly stream, in its course from the mountains to 
the sea, receives as tributaries no less than twenty rivers, 
twelve of which are of greater volume than the Rhine. 



ALLAHABAD. 279 

The lower pai^t of this great river is covered with shlpa, 
steamers, and vessels of every description, and by its 
agency an immense commerce is carried on with every 
section of the country. 

Allahabad is admirably situated, and its population 
and trade have steadily increased and are still increasing. 
The population has doubled in a few years, and now 
numbers nearly two hundred thousand souls. The new 
Capitol is of stone, located in the centre of a large park, 
with grounds elegantly laid out, and adorned with the 
beautiful trees of this favored land; as yet, however, the 
trees are small and afford but little shade, but an abun- 
dant supply of water is provided for the ground, and in 
a few years will make the place beautiful. 

The university buildings are also of stone, large and 
elegant, and wdth fine grounds adjoining, but in which 
the trees are as yet small. These public buildings are 
among the finest in India. The site of the city is level, 
and the streets are very smooth, being macadamized in 
the best possible manner. It is never winter here, and 
the leaves do not fall, but are ever green ; the grass, 
however, withers, for there is no rain at this season of 
the year, and the land that is not irrigated is dry, parched 
up, and seemingly dead. 

February ^d. — This morning early we hired a car- 
riage, procured an experienced guide, and rode to the 
junction of the Ganges and Jumna Elvers, where we 
found the great Hindoo fair, which is only celebrated 
once in every ten years (although they have regular 
annual fairs not so large) in full display. It was the 



280 AROUND THE WORLD. 

largest concourse of people that I ever witnessed. Tliou> 
sands and teas of thousands come from all parts of India 
to worship, and wash their sins away in these united 
waters. Flags of various orders were hoisted over 
stands on which Brahman priests were seated to receive 
fees and read their Shastas. Before reaching the sacred 
waters, for a mile along both sides of the wide avenue, 
all sorts of shops and tents were pitched, for the sale of 
idols and useful and useless articles. Within the encamp- 
ment good order prevailed, and the people were seemingly 
devout in their manner of worshi23. The scene reminded 
me of a colored Methodist camp-meeting. In the tents- 
the people were quietly seated upon the ground, the 
priests reading to them from Looks, and others preaching 
to the multitude. But the most loathsome sights that 
I have ever beheld were in some of the tents : devotees 
with their bodies covered with sackcloth and ashes, as 
an atonement for sin ; others with heads shaven close to 
the skull, completely covered v^^ith ashes, upon their 
bended knees, with their faces fixed toward heaven as 
if in silent prayer ; while others still were as naked as 
when born, with the exception of a small piece of muslin 
cloth erirded around the loins, their bodies colored vel- 
low, and striped with red paint. Every tent in ^vhich 
there was preaching had incense burning at the door. 

As we passed through the dense crowds to the 
water-front, its banks were literally thronged with 
people, and thousands were bathing in the Ganges; 
while others, having their heads and bodies shaved pre- 
paratory to entering the sacred waters, crowded on 



ALLAHABAD. 281 

numerous boats. The encampment-grounds covered a 
space of not less than one hundred acres, and there were 
reputed to have been five hundred thousand people in 
and around this locality, who came from all quarters of 
the peninsula on this occasion. Many brought tents, 
provisions, and cooking-utensils, with them. Some from 
the remotest parts were from three to four weeks on the 
journey to this fair. In coming from Delhi we passed 
bullock-carts loaded with devotees, both men and women ; 
others on foot, dragging their way along toward the holy 
river. It is said that many of the older people remain 
here to die, and have their bodies either burned or 
thrown into the Ganges ; in the case of those who are 
too poor to pay the expense of the funeral-pile, their 
bodies are throvrn into the sacred waters w^ith little or 
no ceremony. After hearing of this custom of the Hin- 
doos, our party ate no more fish while in the country. 

The Hindoos also worship the sun, moon, stars, and 
fire. By one of our party an intelligent-looking native 
was asked why they worshiped such things. He re- 
plied that they believed in one God, who was the true 
light of both heaven and earth ; that the sun, moon, 
stars, and fire, gave lights, and God dwelt in all those 
lights. In making further inquiry, the question was 
asked why they worshiped so many gods and goddesses. 
lie answered that the true God was invisible ; and the 
only way by which they had access to his presence was 
through their graven images or gods, who were merely 
representatives, standing between them and their God, 
and through them came answer to prayer. 

19 



282 AROUND THE WORLD. 

The worship of idols God has denounced in the 
* strongest possible language throughout both the Old 
and New Testaments, declaring that man shall not wor- 
ship graven images (Jeremiah xxv. 6 : " And go not 
after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, 
and j)rovoke me not to anger with the works of your 
hands ; and I will do you no hurt "). The missionaries 
may well ask for the sympathy and prayers of the 
righteous in their conflict with such abominable wor- 
ship of idols ! The Christian workers in these benighted 
and heathen lands have a double duty to perform, like 
the builders of the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah, 
when they had to work with the trov/el in one hand, 
and stand ready to defend themselves with the sword 
in the other. 

In a tour around the world, mission-work and mis- 
sionaries naturally form topics of thought and conversa- 
tion. I regard this subject as one possessing elements 
of special interest to travelers ; and, if no friendly sym- 
pathy were felt to awaken inquiry and lead to inves- 
tigation of facts, adverse representations would have 
that effect. On board the steamers of the Pacific, and 
in these Eastern seas, we are almost certain to meet with 
' missionaries traveling to or from their respective fields 
of labor, and we are almost equally sure to encounter 
some of anti-missionary sentiments, who never seem to 
be more in their glory than when reviling the mission- 
aries and speaking disparagingly of their work. We 
had rejDresentatives of both of these classes with us all 
the way from San Francisco to Japan, China, India, and 



ALLAUABAD. 283 

■even met them in the British settlements, speaking and 
arguing against missionary work. 

If it had not been for the missionaries of England and 
America, who at first introduced the principles of civili» 
zation into Asia, which has had so great [an influence 
in opening the doors of her commerce to the Western 
world, we would not to-day have known so much of her 
listory. Therefore tourists, in traveling around the 
globe, whether they are pious or otherwise, instead of 
speaking against the missionaries, without some tangible 
and sufficient cause, should commend their work for the 
good which it has already done, and which no intelli- 
gent observer can doubt. 

England and the United States have sent out more 
missionaries, and done more to civilize and Christianize 
the heathen, than all other countries together. The 
little seeds of salvation, sown by the influence of these 
devoted laborers, have taken root, and are slowly but 
gradually spreading over the continent of Asia, and the 
islands of the sea. Ere long will come the rich harvest, 
according to the teaching of the Scriptures, when even 
from the least to the greatest all shall know the name 
of the Lord. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

JUBBULPORE TO BOMBAY. 

February Sd. — This morning we resumed our tour 
€71 route for Bombay by the 8 a. m. train. Nynce, a small 
village, is our first stopping-place after leaving Allaha- 
bad. From here we ran through a fine open country, 
well cultivated, till we came to Jurra, where we made 
another halt. Soon after leaving Nynce the cultivation 
decreases, and low jungle-bushes appear scattered over 
the valley. Farther along, the country, for some two 
or three miles, is covered with large black bowlders of 
granite, but in the distance are seen high ranges of moun> 
tain-scenery. We soon reach a bold headland, which 
appears to be the end of the chain, but as we move along 
it again appears in the distance, where richly- wooded 
slopes meet the eye. Farther on a long curve through 
a cutting brings us into a fine expanse of open country^ 
bounded on the left by high hills, which soon after sweep 
round to the right. As the train rushes along, two large 
tigers are seen in the jungle not far from the track. 
We stop at Mujgowan for nearly half an hour. It is 
in a charming situation, embosomed in hills, and is the 
highest point in the Ghauts. 

Soon after leaving this station, we are again in a fine 



JUBBULPORE TO BOMBAY. 285 

open country, with a few trees scattered here and there, 
and a hi2:h rano^e of hills before us. We arrive at Sutna 
at 2.30 p. M., where we dine. About a mile from the 
town we cross a river of the same name. Now the view 
is all closed in by the high hills. As we emerge from 
these, we pass for nearly thirty miles through a beauti- 
ful level valley, bounded on either side, in the distance, 
by lofty hills of almost uniform height, sloj)ing gently 
to the plain. Later in the afternoon we pass through 
very pretty jungle-scenery, diversified here and there by 
detached hills rising from a beautifully-wooded plain, 
and all along we occasionally see some large herds of 
deer and antelope, and flocks of birds. 

Early in the evening we passed by a mountain on 
fire, which was most beautiful to look upon. At ten 
o'clock in the evening we arrive in Jubbulpore, where 
we break our journey, and put up in the Great Northern 
Hotel — board ^y% rupees a day. This hotel is about 
half a mile from the station ; it is somewhat fantastic in 
its construction, but very well kept. 

February Uh. — ^The country in the vicinity of Jub- 
bulpore is interesting on account of its diversified hills, 
which contain a variety of precious stones. Beautiful 
specimens of agate, porphyry, blood-stone, and many 
other rare and valuable gems, are found here, and can be 
purchased at reasonable prices. 

Jubbulpore is a thriving place, with good roads and 
pleasant bungalows. The city contains eleven thou- 
sand houses within its boundaries. The streets are 
wide and clean, lined with shops and residences, built 



286 AROUND THE WORLD. 

to conform to the Oriental style, and present rather a 
pretty aspect. 

This is the station to which the Thugs were consigned 
when the mutiny of 1857 was suppressed. They are 
organized into a sort of penal colony under British super- 
vision. Some of the more desperate and dangerous char- 
acters are in irons, and they are all kept at hard labor. 
Even the children of the Thugs are confined here, and 
are not allowed to go out, lest the band should again 
spread over the country, and its fearful and unnatural 
crimes be repeated. 

The prison covers a large space, with a court within, 
which is kept well guarded, the door and windows be- 
ing secured by heavy iron-bound gates and shutters. 
We were shown by the superintendent through the in- 
stitution. Some of the prisoners were hackling flax and 
carding wool, others spinning, and others again weaving 
the fabric into carpets and blankets, of a very neat pat- 
tern and color, for the English army. The whole of the 
work is performed with machines of native construction, 
and of the most ancient design. It was very interesting 
to see a row of small boys sitting on a seat behind the 
weavers threadino; needles. There are other branches of 
industry carried on in this institution, which was alto- 
gether well worth a visit. 

We engaged an experienced guide, and rode out for 
several miles into the country. Coming to the foot of a 
group of hills, presenting a wild and most picturesque 
appearance, we left the carriage and climbed the highest 
peak, on which is a Hindoo temple of great antiquity^ 



JUBBULPORE TO BOMBAY. 28*? 

constructed on the ^very edge of a bold precipice. We 
ascended a flight of stone steps till we came to the roof 
of the temple, whence we obtained a magnificent view 
of the surrounding country. The scenery throughout is 
full of beauty ; the valley and adjacent hills, as we look 
down upon them, were covered with gigantic bowlders 
of granite, scattered in the wildest confusion, some deeply 
imbedded in the ground, others piled one upon another 
in such peculiar positions that it seemed as if they had 
been placed there by the hand of man instead of Nature ; 
others were riven in twain by some mighty force — all 
more or less in a state of decomposition, the slow but 
sure decay of centuries, which, after a time, must end 
in the displacement of the ponderous masses. Riding 
through the woods, we saw two very fine monkeys play- 
fully jumping from branch to branch, seemingly paying 
but little attention to passers-by. As we proceeded 
through the shady forest we met two Brahman priests, 
clothed in their usual yellow garments, both bareheaded 
and barefooted; but they would no more disturb or 
harm a monkey than we would some choice animal, for 
the reason that monkeys are among their chief idols of 
worship. We returned to the city by a difierent road 
from that by which we came. Just before reaching it 
we passed by some splendid country bungalows sur- 
rounded by spacious parks, or large gardens, lined with 
shade-trees, planted with shrubs, and adorned with beau- 
tiful flowers. 

The Nerbudda River is not far from the city of Jub- 
bulpore, and is a clear and rapid stream, with high and 



288 AROUND THE WORLD. 

precipitous banks. This being the dry season, the water 
is low. Here are deposited thousands of logs of the 
finest timber, cut in the mountain-forests, and waiting 
for the river to rise, when they are floated in rafts down 
to the sea. 

All the ancient public edifices in India are built of 
stone. The elaborate workmanship on some of the 
stone-work shows that cutting and engraving had at- 
tained to a perfection several centuries ago that is now 
unknown to the natives of the countr}^ 

February bth. — This morning we take our departure 
by the half-past nine train en route for Bombay. We 
have assigned to our comj)any a reserved carriage. The 
extension of the East India Railroad between here and 
Bombay has only been opened to travel within some 
three or four years ; since its completion, it has become 
one of the most important lines in India, as it links 
Calcutta with Bombay, and greatly reduces the time 
occuj)ied by bullock-carts, v/hich required several weeks ; 
the entire distance can now be accomplished in less than 
two days. I purpose describing only a few of the prin- 
cipal places along the road. 

At Chandni is an o]d fortification commanding the 
great pass from the west into Hindostan. It stands 
upon a precipitous rock, and possesses considerable nat- 
ural strength. The face of the country is wild and 
diversified, and the railway must have cost an immense 
sum for grading through this mountain-pass. During 
the afternoon several monkeys were seen jumping from 
branch to branch in the wild forest-trees. The scenery 



JUBBULrORE TO BOMBAY. 289 

was so very interesting that, when nightfall came upon 
us, we regretted that the day had not been longer. 

Fehruo.ry 6i^A.— This morning, by the break of day, 
we enter the Ghauts. The scenery through all this 
region is most picturesque, wild, and charming.. The 
road winds round the beautiful wooded mountains in 
every conceivable way, constantly opening to our de- 
lighted gaze views different from those seen by us in any 
other country. For a long distance we follow the wind- 
ing course of the Godavery River, which has its source 
in this mountain-range, its troubled waters rolling over 
bowlders in the wildest confusion. As we are making 
the descent from the highest and western Ghaut, the 
road winds and curves round precipitous mountain-peaks, 
reminding one of the worm of a screw. While looking 
out on one side of the carriage one sees overhanging 
rocks reaching as it were above the clouds, and from the 
other are beheld far below in the abyss the furious tor- 
rent of waters rushing and leaping over the rocks, and 
making a noise like that of some great cataract. After 
leaving the Ghauts the country slopes gradually away 
into vast plains. 

From Kussara the highest point is reached, where 
begins the incline toward the sea. The course of the 
railway is indescribably beautiful : the lofty cliffs, green 
slopes, wooded gorges, silver streams, cascades, forests of 
palms and teak-trees, and other Oriental trees in blossom, 
all combine to present a picture of grandeur and beauty. 
Before reaching the plains we passed through thirteen 
tunnels, the longest in all India. 



290 AROUND TEE WORLD. 

Just before reaching Bombay we crossed over tlie 
island of Salsette, wbich is approaclied from tlie main* 
land by a handsome bridge. This island is diversified 
by hills, mountains, and fertile valleys, where we see 
various ruins, consisting of churches, convents, and villas. 
From here we passed through a succession of beautiful 
gardens and groves of mangoes, cocoa-nuts, "and palms, of 
great beauty, till we come almost to the gates of the city. 
At 11.30 A. M. we arrived in Bombay, and were driven 
to the BycuUa Hotel, where we had excellent entertain- 
ment at five rupees a day. This hotel is beautifully 
situated on the border of the town, having airy rooms, 
and two tiers of balconies, one above the other, stretch- 
ing all around the house, well adapted to the hot cli- 
mate. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



BOMBAY. 



Fehruarg ^tli. — The city of Bombay is beautifully 
situated on an island of tlie same name, wliicli belongs 
to a group connected by a causeway. The land is mostly 
level, excepting the rising ground called Malabar Hill, a 
point to the west of the island. Bombay has a fine har- 
bor for shipping, nearly land-locked, in which lie some 
of the largest and finest ships in the world. The island 
was taken by the Portuguese in the early part of the 
sixteenth century, and by them ceded in 1661 to Charles 
II. of England, as part of the dowry of his queen, Cath- 
arine of Braganza. King Charles, ^^^ years later, either 
gave or sold it to the East India Company; and in 1865 
it was made the capital of the Western Presidency. 
On the opening of communication with England by the 
Red Sea route it received a new impetus, and railroad 
communication centring here from all parts of India, its 
population and commerce have rapidly increased. It is 
admirably located, both in regard to its internal and 
foreign trade, at the western entrance of India, has di- 
rect communication with the richest parts of the great 
peninsula, and is the nearest point of communication with 
the whole Western world. Bombay contains a popula- 
tion of six hundred and fifty thousand, and is the most 



292 AROUND THE WORLD. 

lively city in India. Nearly all the tribes of Hindostan 
are represented here, besides Chinese, Persians, Afghans, 
Arabs, Jews, Europeans, and many other nationalities. 
The costumes of the people are varied and gay, and the 
streets are perfectly thronged by a busy multitude both 
on foot and in carriao-es. 

February Sth. — To-day I called upon the American 
consul, and examined the shipping in the harbor, which 
v^as an interesting sight to witness ; numerous large ships 
lying off at anchor shipping and discharging cargoes, 
each ship, by its flag, representing its nationality. I also 
saw the flag of our country, the stars and stripes, waving 
to the breeze — that glorious standard which has greeted 
us in every clime, floats in peace over every ocean, and 
has its influence in every land and upon every sea. 

February ^tJi. — We saw the procession of the Mo- 
hammedan annual religious fair, this being the tenth 
and last day. The procession marched through the 
streets, which were literally crowded with people. Some 
in the procession, as it was moving on, were playing on 
musical instruments, others were dancing, and others 
singing, all exhibited in a religious way. 

February 10th. — We chartered a small steam-yacht, 
and invited some seven or eight English ladies and gen- 
tlemen who were stopping at the hotel to devote the 
afternoon to a visit to the beautiful little island Ele- 
phanta, about six miles across the bay. The caves of 
Elephanta are deserted Buddhist temples, immense cav- 
erns cut in the solid rock. The entrance to the first 
temple has three openings, and is supported by huge 



BOMBAY. 293 

pillars formed in the rock. This temple is one hundred 
and thirty-three feet in length, one hundred and thirty 
broad, with a ceiling twenty feet high, supported by 
ranges of massive pillars beautifully carved. Opposite 
the main entrance is a gigantic bust with three heads, 
supposed to represent the Hindoo Trinity. Here are 
two small temples, one on each side of the j^rincipal one, 
the true history of which is not known with any degree 
of certainty, but they are supposed to have been built 
in the sixth century. There are numerous other carved 
figures and shrines on the island, which is beautifully 
wooded, and one of the group that forms the harbor of 
Bombay. 

FebriLary 11th. — ^This afternoon we rode out to Mal- 
abar Hill, overlooking the sea and city — the handsomest 
spot in Bombay. It is a kind of cemetery, selected by 
the Parsees, on account of its great elevation, for dispos- 
ing of their dead. It is constantly guarded by men of 
a distinct caste, who are not permitted to mingle with 
the rest of the people. This cemetery contains a large 
building devoted to the preservation of the sacred fire, 
which has been burning from the remotest age, and is 
never allowed to exj)ire. Here are buildings for the 
priests and those having charge of the dead ; and also 
five round stone towers, called the Towers of Silence, 
each from forty to fifty feet high and about sixty in 
diameter, which are the receptacles of the dead. 

When a death occurs, the body is taken to the gate 
of the cemetery, approached by a high flight of steps, 
and delivered into the hands of the priests. After a 



294 AROUND THE WORLD. 

prescribed ceremonial, tlie body is taken to one of the 
towers and laid on a grate upon tlie extreme top, where 
a flock of liideous vultures is always flying around wait- 
ing to devour the flesh, and the bones at lengtli fall 
within the inclosure of the tower below in heaps. It is 
the most revolting mode of disposing of the remains of 
departed friends which I have seen in any country — 
quite as bad as, if not worse than, the Hindoo mode of 
cremation. 

The scenery from this higli hill is most magnificent 
to witness ; the drive was througli groves of cocoa-nut 
palms, and bungalows, surroimded by a profusion of 
Oriental trees and flowers, mostly occupied by Parsees, 
who form by far the most numerous class in Boml)ay. 

The Parsees embody a great part of the wealtli of 
the city, and are the most intelligent and enterprising 
of the natives of the countr}^ A large part of the mer- 
cantile business is also in their hands. Their costume is 
of a peculiar cut, partly European and partly Oriental ; 
they are readily recognized in every part of the East by 
their high-crowned leather hats. They liave a sort of a 
caste similar to the Hindoos, and are forbidden to marry 
excepting among their own people. They seldom eat 
anything cooked by one of another religion. We had 
in company with us on the steamship from Hong-Kong 
to Canton three Parsee gentlemen, who had a separate 
table, and instead of eating fish, meat, and potatoes, 
^vith knife and fork, the food was first carved, and 
picked up by their fingers. They are as a rule well 
educated, l)ut, with all their intelligence, they hold with 



BOMBAY. 295 

great tenacity to the ancient forms and superstitions of 
their ancestry, and there are no more bigoted religionists 
among all the tribes of Asia. They are the descendants 
of the disciples of Zoroaster, who lived in Persia several 
centuries before Christ, and it was by him that their 
form of religion was established. They are usually 
known as iire-worshipers reverencing fire, as well as the 
sun, moon, and other heavenly bodies. In their temples 
fire is kept continually burning by priests, who maintain 
that it has never been extinguished. They feed it with 
fragrant spices, and treat it as if it were a god. The 
priests cover the lower part of their faces with a mask 
when they approach the sacred fire, lest they should 
defile it with their breath. 

Fehruary l^tK — We devoted the day to riding about 
the city. We visited the Town Hall, a massive struct- 
ure, with apartments not only for the public service but 
scientific and historical purposes. The rooms of the 
Royal Asiatic Society, with its immense library and 
'museum, are full of interest to every tourist. We also 
rode to the fortifications. The Elphinstone Circle, named 
from the Hon. Mountstuart Elphinstone, who succeeded 
to the Bombay presidency in 1819, is surrounded by 
fine public buildings, and the centre of the most im- 
portant commercial oj)erations. 

February ISth. — This being the Sabbath, we attended 
the Baptist Mission church. The congregation consisted 
of a goodly number of natives, neatly clad in the costume 
of the country. I then visited the Union Missionary 
Society works, which are in a prosperous condition. 



296 



AROUND THE WORLD. 



Their printing-press was at work, striking off religious 
tracts and other publications, to be distributed over their 
field of labor. 

February \Mh. — This evening, by invitation through 
the landlord of our hotel, who is a Parsee in high stand- 
ing, we attended a first-class wedding at the residence 
of a wealthy Parsee. The couple, however, had been 




PARSEE CHILDREN. 



married for eight days ; but, according to their custom, 
the wedding festival was continued for nine days, of 
which this was the last. The building was brilliantly 
illuminated, both within and without, it will be safe to 
sa}^ with thousands of taper-lights. Both ladies and gen- 
tlemen were dressed in their peculiar costume, and con- 
stantly kept moving, coming and going. They treated 



BOMBAY. 297 

ois to some sweet spiceg, wliich comprised all that was 
handed round to the company. It was more a display 
of dress and grandeur than a feast. 

Februmnj l^tJi. — The annual horse-races took place 
to-day on the Byculla course, which was directly in the 
rear of our hotel, from the lofty veranda of which we 
saw the whole performance. The race-horses are not 
kept in such nice trim, nor do they run as swiftly, as 
those of America and England. 

February 16th. — They have continual summer in Bom- 
l3ay, and its inhabitants have never seen frost nor snow. 
The climate, at this season of the year, is genial and 
pleasant. The thermometer stands on an average, at 
noon, in the shade, at about 70° ; at night it is much 
cooler, especially toward morning, when a blanket is 
comfortable. 

February Vltli. — We devote the time mostly to rid- 
ing, in and out of the city, visiting the numerous shojDS, 
filled with all kinds of toys, cheap fancy-goods, etc., 
which reminds one of being in fairy-land. Among the 
curious places in Bombay is the hospital for aged and 
infirm animals. It is open to all species of animals, ex- 
cepting the human. If a horse, camel, elephant, dog, or 
other member of the brute creation, becomes disabled, 
he is brought here and kindly treated at the expense of 
the institution. 

February ISth. — England not only controls the peo- 
ple of India, but she holds an enviable position of influ- 
ence over the great masses in many parts of Asia. The 
two small islands of Great Britain and Ireland claim to 

20 



298 AROUND THE WORLD. 

hold and govern more tlian one-tMrd of tlie territory of 
the globe. England's royal army of red-coats is seen 
everywhere. Her ostensible policy is that of neutrality, 
but, like her national symbol, the lion, she can be aggres- 
sive, and is ever able to grapple with and to conquer any 
feeble territory within her reach, in view of bringing it 
under her rule. Japan, China, India, America, and many 
of the large islands of the sea, feel the influence of Eng- 
land's controlling power. 

Doubtless it has been a great blessing to the people 
of India in havino^ been brouo^ht under British rule. It 
is with great pleasure that I bear testimony to the high 
<3haracter of the men who have the administration of 
affairs in the Indian Empire, as well as to the promising 
aspect of the country's future. I doubt if any country 
has more conscientious and intelligent public officers con- 
trolling its destinies, but, as in the case of other new 
administrations, there are yet important reforms to be 
consummated. 



CHAPTEE XXIX. 



BOMBAY TO SUEZ. 



February VdtJi, — This afternoon at four o'clock we 
embark on board the steamship Erl-King, Captain Ham- 
ilton, and take passage for Suez ; distance three thousand 
miles, fare two hundred and fifty rupees apiece. The 
Erl-King is a fine iron ship, bark-rigged, of the capacity 
of three thousand tons, propelled by a stern-screw. Our 
passengers consist principally of East India ofiicers — in 
the military and civil service — and their families, return- 
ing to England on furlough or leave of absence. 

When we come to look back over the Orient, and the 
interesting scenes through which we have passed, it is 
with a feeling of deep regret that we determine upon 
hastening our departure, partly owing to the sudden 
breaking out of the small-pox in Bombay, by which 
scores, if not hundreds, were dying daily in the city, 
and partly on account of the necessity of evading the 
hot and enervating winds of the Red Sea, which com- 
monly commence as early as the first of March, and con- 
tinue up to the first of December. 

India is not altogether a land of darkness, and yet 
the mass of its people are still bowing down to its gods 
of wood and of stone, or following the banner of the 
false Prophet ; but the Sun of Righteousness is lighting 



300 AROUND THE WORLD. 

up the dark peaks here and there, and giving promise of 
the coming day when Christianity shall triumph over 
superstition and false religion. 

At four o'clock in the afternoon the ship's anchor was 
raised. Captain Hamilton said that he intended to strike 
a bee-line across the Indian Ocean for Aden, on the 
southern coast of Arabia, which was the first land he 
expected to make. The passengers are all on deck, in 
good spirits, chatting about home, and taking a farewell 
view of India. The weather is charming, and not a rip- 
ple upon the surface of the bay. 

February 20th. — Weather fine, and the ship under 
full sail running before the fresh northeast monsoon. 
Thermometer 75°. Course west by south; latitude 18° 
22' north, longitude 69° 56' east. Distance run, from 
yesterday 4 p. m. up to 12 m., one hundred and sixty-four 
miles. 

Fehruary 21st. — Weather fine, and the ship ininning 
before the monsoon, with all canvas set, which kept the 
vessel steady, helped us on our course, and supplied us 
with plenty of fresh aii^ — a great blessing on these hot 
Eastern seas. Thermometer 76°. Course west by south ; 
latitude 17° 54' north, longitude 67° 8' east. Distance 
run, up to 12 m., one hundred and seventy-four miles. 
The Erl-King is not as fast as some ships that we have 
been on, for the reason that she does not carry the mail^ 
and is very heavily laden with merchandise. Captain 
Hamilton, this afternoon, ordered a tent constructed on 
the main deck for the accommodation of those who found 
it too hot to sleep below. 



BOMBAY TO SUEZ. 301 

February ^2d. — The weather is charming, the sea 
like glass, and not a ripple upon the water. The ship 
is under full sail, and running gracefully before the mon- 
soon. Thermometer 76°. Course west by south ; lati- 
tude 17° 14' north, longitude 63° 41' west. Distance 
run, up to 12 m., one hundred and seventy-iive miles. 

As the passengers gradually became acquainted, the 
time passed pleasantly away. We find Captain Hamil- 
ton a gentlemanly, polite ojfficer, not only looking well 
to his ship, but attending faithfully to the comfort and 
pleasure of his passengers, whicli cannot be said of all 
captains on the sea. Every morning and evening he in- 
spected every part of the ship, from stem to stern, with 
the keenest eye, to see for himself that everything was 
in its proper place and every man at his post. The table 
was plainer than in some ships, but the food was sub- 
stantial and well cooked, and the waiters obliging and 
ready at every call. 

February ^^d. — Weather very fine, and ship under « 
all sail, running before the monsoon. Thermometer 76°. 
Course west by south; latitude 16° 23' north, longitude 
61° 2' east. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and 
seventy-six miles. 

February 24:th. — Weather fine, sea smooth, and the 
ship, having all sail set, running as usual before the mon- 
soon. Thermometer 80°. Course west by south ; lati- 
tude 15° 41' north, longitude 57° 53' east. Distance run, 
Tip to 12 M., one hundred and eighty- three miles. 

February 25th. — Weather fine, sea smooth, and ship 
running before the gentle monsoon. Thermometer 81°. 



302 AROUND THE WORLV, 

Course west by south; latitude 15° 11' nortli, longitude 
55° 5' east. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and 
seventy-three miles. 

February 26?^A. — Weather fine, sea smooth, and ship 
under full sail. Thermometer 81°. Course west by south ; 
latitude 14° 21' north, longitude 52° 42' east. Distance 
run, up to 12 m., one hundred and seventy-four miles. 

This evening the water is as smooth as a mirror, and 
so deeply impregnated with phosphorescent jets of light 
that we could almost see to pick a pin from the ship's 
deck, or, in other words, completely illuminating sur- 
rounding objects. During yesterday and to-day the 
ocean was strewed with locusts, which are supposed to 
have been blown from off the Arabian coast. To-day 
we are abreast of the mouth of the great Euphrates 
River, which has its outlet in the Indian Ocean. 

February ^^tli. — Weather charming, and ship under 
full sail. Thermometer 80°. Course west by south ; lati- 
tude 13° 42' north, longitude 49° 1' east. Distance run, 
up to 12 M., one hundred and eighty-three miles. This 
kind of weather, in the latitude of the Indian Ocean, 
commonly continues for six months of the year. The 
monsoons are similar to the trade- winds upon the Amer- 
ican Pacific coast, and render it quite as pleasant to be 
on sea as upon the land. 

February ^'6th. — This morning early we saw many 
flying-fish skipping over the unrufiled sea. The weather 
still continues fine, and the ship under full sail. Ther- 
mometer 81°. Course west by south; latitude 12° 55^^ 
north, longitude 46° 15' east. Distance run, up to 12 m.^ 



BOMBAY TO SUEZ. 



303 



one hundred and seventy-one miles. Later in the after- 
noon we are off Aden, sixteen hundred and fifty miles 
from Bombay. There is nothing very striking in the 
appearance of the town. It is a mass of rock connected 
with the mainland by a low, sandy neck, the rock tower- 
ing up to the height of seventeen hundred and seventy- 




six feet. It was held by the Portuguese during the 
height of their power in the East. The Turks captured 
it in 1538, and held it for three centuries. In 1839, for 
an outrage committed upon a vessel sailing under Eng- 
lish colors, the British Government seized the place, 
strengthened its fortifications, and have kept a large gar- 



304 AROUND THE WORLD. 

rison upon it ever since. On account of its strength it 
is called tlie " Gibraltar of the East," for its command- 
ing position near the Ked Sea. It seldom rains at Aden, 
sometimes three or four years elapsing without a drop 
falling from the clouds ; even when it rains on the main- 
land near by, it passes over Aden. To supply the town 
with water, the authorities have excavated immense 
tanks in the solid rock to collect the rainfall when it 
does occur, and where the precious fluid is preserved for 
years. Aden is now principally used as a coaling-sta- 
tion. All ships passing through the Ked Sea to and 
from India stop at Aden to take in coal, which is brought 
from England in sailing-ships by way of the Cape of 
Good Hope, and deposited here for the use of her steam- 
ships. 

February ^^tli. — We have now entered the Red Sea, 
ninety miles from Aden. This forenoon we pass, loom- 
ing up from the sea, the twelve small islands called the 
Twelve Apostles ; shortly after we go through the straits 
of Bab-el- Mandeb, or what are called by old sailors the 
Gate of Tears. We are now having the shores of Arabia 
on one side and Africa on the other, both of which can 
be seen with the naked eye. To-day the weather is very 
fine, and the water perfectly smooth. Our ship is still 
running before the monsoon, under sail. Thermometer 
76°. Course north by west; latitude 12° 40' north, lon- 
gitude 43° 24' east. Distance run, vc^ to 12 m., one hun- 
dred and seventy-two miles. 

This afternoon we passed by the city of Mocha, on 
the Arabian side. This region forms the great coffee- 



BOMBAY TO SUEZ. 305 

growing district, whose fine product is shipped to many 
parts of tlie world. The Arabs also trade in frankin- 
cense, myrrh, amber, and ostrich-feathers ; they likewise 
supply the passing ships with fruit, mostly dates, and 
with mutton of the Berber sheep. This small animal is 
invarial)ly white, with a black head. 

March 1st. — Weather very fine. Last night the ship 
ran out of the gentle northeast monsoon, which has ac- 
companied us all the way from India. This forenoon 
we pass by the Jebel Teir Island, located nearly in the 
centre of the sea, about midway from either shore. The 
Ked Sea occupies but a small space upon the map, and 
yet it is over thirteen hundred miles in length, and its 
greatest width is one hundred and ninety miles. To-day 
the ship's course is west-northwest ; wind southeast, all 
sail set. Latitude 15° 17' north, longitude 40° 41' east. 
Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred and eighty-seven 
miles. 

March ^d. — The Eed Sea is by old sailors conceded to 
be one of the most dangerous in the world to navigate. 
The water is of great depth, but rocks and islands are 
scattered through it, and coral-reefs abound, which sel- 
dom lift their heads above the waves to warn the sailor 
of his danger. Ships are often lost in thick weather by 
the unexpected changes of currents. The countries on 
both sides of the sea are inhabited by wild and barbar- 
ous people. There is now a fearful war raging in 
Abyssinia, on the African coast, between the Egyptians 
and Abyssinians. To-day the weather is clear. Ther- 
mometer 80°. Course west-northwest ; latitude 17° 42' 



306 ABOUND TEE WORLD. 

north, longitude 39° 52' east. Distance run, up to 12 m.^ 
one hundred and seventy-five miles. 

March Sd. — Weather clear, wind blowing a gale from 
northwest. Thermometer 76°. Course west-northwest ; 
latitude 19° 27' north, longitude 39° 2' east. Distance 
run, up to 12 m., one hundred and fifteen miles. The gale 
became so terrific that Captain Hamilton ordei'ed the 
sailors aloft to send the light spars and topsail-yards 
upon deck, in order to relieve the laboring ship. We 
were not, however, without warning of this gale, for the 
captain said, some two or three days ago, when the 
weather was fine, that we should encounter a succession 
of gales, and that we had better prepare for the event. 
It is a most singular phenomenon, that these gales on 
the Ked Sea should be so res-ular in their course. It 
commonly blows at this place a gale from two distinctly 
opposite points, both up and down the sea, at the same 
time, during the greater part of the year, leaving an 
intermediate space of nearly a dead calm for one hun- 
dred miles between the two currents of wind. Sailing- 
ships are scarcely ever seen on this sea, native crafts 
excepted, and these are often utterly lost, or wrecked. 

March 4:th. — The gale continued all through last 
night, and to-day we occasionally ship a heavy sea, wash- 
ing the decks from stem to stern ; but the weather over- 
head is perfectly clear, and scarcely a cloud to be seen. 
Thermometer 76°. Course west-northwest; latitude 21° 
34' north, longitude 37° 46' east. Distance run, up to 
12 M., one hundred and thirty-six miles. 

March 5th. — Last night we left the gale astern ; to- 



BOMBAY TO SUEZ. ^^^ 

day the weather is delightful, with little or no wind. 
The passengers are all in high glee and full of life, as is 
always the case at sea after having a gale of wind. 
Thermometer 76°. Shij^'s course west-northwest; lati- 
tude 21° 34' north, longitude 37° 46' east. Distance 
run, up to 12 m., one hundred and sixty-six miles. 

March 6tJi. — ^To-day we approach the 023posite wind, 
but it is fair, and not as terrific as the last gale, which 
was ahead ; the weather, nevertheless, is very fine. Ther- 
mometer 75°. Course west-northwest; latitude 26° 19^ 
north, longitude 34° 56' east. Distance run, ujd to 12 m.^ 
one hundred and fifty-five miles. Captain Hamilton 
runs the ship at a slo^v rate, lest the coal may fall short 
before reaching Suez. Last night a large ball of fire was 
seen by the officers and sailors of the ship to fall from 
the heavens into the sea, which incident furnished a topic 
of conversation for the passengers during the day. 

March ^th, — Weather fine, sea smooth. Thermometer 
75°. Course west-northwest; latitude 28° 3' north, longi- 
tude 33° 5' east. Distance run, up to 12 m., one hundred 
and sixty-four miles. We have now eighty-five miles to 
make to reach Suez. At mid -day Ave are abreast of 
Mount Sinai, which peak can be seen through a good 
glass. It was at the base of this mount that the Israelites 
pitched their tents when on their journey into the prom- 
ised land, and where Moses went up into the mount and 
procured the tables of stone, with the Ten Command- 
ments written thereon, for the government of the chil- 
dren of Israel, by Him who rules the universe. 

March ^tli, — This morning we pass over the track. 



308 AROUND THE WORLD. 

upon the Red Sea where the Israelites are supposed to 
have crossed. There is no doubt in regard to the route 
by which they came from Succoth to the sea. It is 
clearly defined by the general features of the country — 
a precipitous mountain-range forming a deep ravine, 
stretching from the sea in a westerly direction, from 
which they could not diverge. Pharaoh and his host 
were in their rear, and they had fied until they could go 
no farther — a mountain- wall was on one side, and the 
deep sea on the other. At the point to which I refer 
the Red Sea must be from ^yq to six miles in width, 
and of great depth, for our ship, drawing twenty-two feet 
of water, passed over the supposed track. The Egyptians 
pursuing the Israelites went after them into the midst 
of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots and his 
horsemen. It was in the midst of the very waves that 
they proposed to turn back, when they found that the 
Lord was fighting for the Israelites and against them- 
selves. They accordingly turned and fied ; but when 
the sea fell from its walls and returned to its bed, of the 
vast army that had gone into it there remained not so 
much as one of them. 

Doubtless, the drying up of the waters of the Red 
Sea was not effected alone by the strong east wind, for 
the children of Israel went into the bed of the sea upon 
dry ground, and the waters were a wall unto them on 
their right and on their left. The Holy Scriptures show 
that it was a sublime miracle. If the Israelites had 
taken a more northerly route, they could have passed 
around the head of the Red Sea over dry ground, and it 



BOMBAY TO SUEZ. 3Q9 

would not have taken them more than a day's march to 
have brought them opposite to the point where they did 
cross. And they could have also traveled over the 
sandy desert into Palestine or the promised land in forty 
days instead of forty years, but this short route was not 
consistent with the divine will ; neither would their 
enemies, the Egyptians, in that case, have been destroyed 
by the angry and rushing waters of the Red Sea if the 
Israelites had taken their own way. They had no choice 
as to the course which they should take, for they were 
guided and ruled over by a higher power — by Him who 
led them on by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of 
fire by night. 

About nine o'clock this morning our ship drops her 
anchor near the mouth of the Suez Canal, through which 
she is to pass en route for England, and by her I sent 
one of my heavy trunks, to be left in Liverpool, thus 
saving both the expense and trouble of carriage across 
the Continent. 

Previous to leaving the ship, the passengers joined in 
presenting Captain Hamilton a letter, expressing their 
sympathy and kindly regard for the marked attention 
and gentlemanly treatment received at his hands dur- 
ing the pleasant voyage of sixteen days from India to 
Egypt. 

We are landed by the natives upon the custom-house 
dock, where we supposed that our trunks would be 
turned inside out by the authorities ; but, instead of an 
examination, the officer in charge requested backshish. 
One of the party gave a rupee, and we passed through 



,^10 AROUND TEE WORLD. 

and put up at the Suez Hotel; price for board eighty- 
piasters per day, whicli is equal to four dollars of our 
currency. The piaster is the Egyptian standard of 
money ; one piaster is equal in value to five cents Ameri- 
<3an coin. 



CHAPTEE XXX. 



EGYPT. 



Suez, like Aden, presents nothing very striking to 
the tourist. The city is situated on a low, sandy plain, 
and for some cause or other they scarcely ever have any 
rainfall. A stream of fresh water has been brought 
through the desert from the Nile, which supplies the 
most pressing wants of the town, which is said to con- 
tain thirty thousand inhabitants. The houses are purely 
Oriental, and not very inviting ; they are one story high, 
and built of clay. The town is surrounded on all sides 
by the sandy desert, and whatever is consumed in the 
place is brought from abroad. The Suez Canal Com- 
pany has made a safe harbor here with convenient 
wharves, used chiefly by ships coming and going through 
the canal, and by the railroad company. 

The Suez Canal is one of the chief improvements in 
the East, opening up a great highway of commerce be- 
tween Europe and Asia, and bringing the two continents 
into closer connection with each other. The canal is 
eighty-seven miles in length, built over the desert, con- 
sisting of a level, sandy plain through a chain of small 
lagoons, having its terminus at Port Said, upon the 
Mediterranean, at one end, and Suez, on the Red Sea, at 
the other. The canal has an average width of seventy- 



^12 AROUND THE WORLD. 

two feet at the bottom, and two Imiidred feet at the 
surface, with a depth of twenty-six feet ; the water in 
the two seas is on the same level, and the canal has no 
locks. Steamships pay two dollars per ton, according to 
their registers, for the privilege of passing through. 
There are few if any sailing-ships which make the pas- 
sage, for the reason that the tariff is higher than they 
can afford to pay, and the navigation of the Eed Sea is 
dangerous for sailing-vessels ; hence sailing-ships bound 
to the Indies go around by the way of the Cape of 
Good Hope. 

The Suez Canal was not altogether a ncAV idea on the 
part of its modern projectors. The ancient Egyptians, 
it is believed, had some sort of communication by water 
across the isthmus. In 1798, Napoleon I., then com- 
manding the French expedition to Egypt, proposed 
opening a ship-canal through the same route. A com- 
mission appointed to make the survey reported that the 
Red Sea was thirty feet lower than the Mediterranean. 
This was considered a fatal objection, and the enteriDrise 
was abandoned. But, when the survey was made in 
1830 for the opening of the canal, they found the two 
seas on the same level. 

March 9th. — This morning we leave by the Egyptian 
8 A. M. train en route for Cairo ; distance one hundred 
and eighty miles; fare for each person three hundred 
and fifty piasters. We ride along the margin of the 
Suez Canal some forty miles, till we come to Ismailia, 
which town sprung suddenly into existence by the touch 
of the canal. After the completion of the canal the 



EGYPT. 313 

khedive appointed a day for a celebration of tlie great 
enterprise. He invited Napoleon, the imperial patron 
of the work, and the empress, and all the kings and 
queens and princes of the world, to come to Ismailia, 
where was given a grand entertainment. Since then 
Ismailia has become of considerable note, and is building 
up rapidly. After leaving Ismailia we struck out into 
the desert, and for several hours traversed the sandy 
waste, forDiing a picture of desolation. Now and then 
we came upon some weary travelers, who with camels 
or donkeys were dragging their way through the lonely 
desert upon some foreign pilgrimage. Early in the after- 
noon we approached the valley of the Nile, on the same 
route which Abraham took when he went into Egypt 
to escape the threatened famine, and by which the sons 
of Jacob went down to buy corn. It is also the section 
of country in which the Israelites dwelt four hundred 
and thirty years. This plain is rich in fertility, and 
dotted v/ith small towns and cities. The foundations 
upon which these towns are built are raised, by artificial 
earth, several feet above the level of the country, for 
protection against the rise and inundation of the river 
Nile, which commonly occurs in the autumn of every 
year. These towns are chiefly inhabited by farmers and 
shepherds. They still hold to the traditions spoken of 
in the Bible ; they have no barns in which to store their 
crops, but do their thrashing in the "field. We caught 
sight of the great Pyramids, at least forty miles distant, 
with all their gigantic majesty looming up to the clouds. 
They may well be ranked among the great wonders of 

21 



8U 



AROUND THE WORLD. 



the world. For a wliile we almost forgot tliat we were 
travelers from the New World, and fell to meditating 
upon the land in which we found ourselves — upon the 
Pharaohs and the patriarchs — until warned by the 




steam- whistle that we had arrived in the ancient city of 
Caii'o, where we were immediately besieged by a host 
of hotel-runners, dragomen, crowds of donkeys and don- 
key-boys, porters, and beggars, reminding us of the 
Egyptian plagues. But the beggars are not now as 



EGYPT, 315 

prevalent as when I was here eight years ago ; then they 
were like the frogs of the ancient plague which ascended 
into the very bedchambers. Finally, among the dense 
<3rowd, we at length succeeded in getting a carriage, and 
rode to Shepheard's Hotel, where we arrived just before 
sunset; board sixty piasters a day. This hotel is the 
best-kept house in Cairo. 

The population of Egypt is reputed to be eight mill- 
ions, composed chiefly of two classes. The most influ* 
ential class consists of immigrants, or sojourners, from 
Europe. They lead in commerce, banking, and manu- 
factures, and retain, by virtue of treaties between the 
sultan and Christian European countries, their respective 
nationalities and allegiance. They are not only exempt 
from the judicial authority of the Egyptian Government, 
but also from taxation. Thus they constitute a govern- 
ing class independent of the government itself The 
native class is of a mixed race. A small portion are 
Copts, descendants of the ancient Egyptians. Those 
living near, and on the Mediterranean coast, are chiefly 
of Arabian extraction and are mostly Mohammedans. 
Besides these, there are Nubians, Abyssinians, and many 
other African races. 

Over all these native races the khedive exercises ab- 
solute power. He taxes at his will, and confiscates at 
his pleasure. The majority of his subjects are sincere 
and bigoted in their religious faith. The khedive's ad- 
ministration is a personal one ; every transaction of the 
government is conducted with his personal knowledge 
and by his direction, and without his sanction nothing 



,316 AROUXD THE WOBLI), 

can be done. It is due to the kliedive to say tliat his 
adiuinistratioii is successful, and even popular. He has 
done nuieli for the improvement of Cairo, by pulling- 
down old buildings, and erecting more substantial and 
modern ones in their stead ; widening and straightening 
the streets, etc. He lias already extended the Alexan- 
dria it Cairo Ivailroad several hundred miles toward 
Upper Egypt, and intends to carry it to the Soudan, the 
extreme southern province of his dominions. He is indi- 
vidually the largest land-proprietor and agriculturist in 
Eii'vpt. I am informed that he owns one-fifth of the 
tillabh^ land of the country, and is reputed to be im- 
mensely ^vealthy. What is more marvelous is, that he 
superintends his personal estate, as well as his public 
atfaii's. 

Js^htVIive is, in modern Egypt, the title for which the 
Europeans use the word viceroy, Tlie present khedive 
is a son of the eminent Ibrahim Pasha, and grandson 
of Mehemet Ali. He succeeded his uncle. Said Pasha^ 
in 180;>, and is now about sixty years old. By a treaty 
which he made some few years ago with the sultan, the 
succession is coniirmed in his iamily in a direct line. He 
was educated in France, speaks both English and French 
Huently, and his appearance is decidedl}' European. He 
has several large and most magnificent palaces, and lives 
in great splendor. Every day we saw him, accompanied 
by some of the members of his family, riding past our 
hotel. 

March 10th. — Tht» history of Egypt extends back to 
a period three or four thousand years before the birth of 



EGYPT. 317" 

Christ, and many of its monuments are the oldest human 
handiwork existing in the world. It was a powerful and 
wealthy kingdom in the days of Joseph. Moses was 
educated in its schools, in order to tit him for the guid- 
ance of the Jewish people into the promised land. Egypt 
is conceded to have been the cradle of the world's civili- 
zation; Greece derived its arts and its sciences from 
Egypt. She also taught imperial Eome ; and from Rome 
the waves of knowledge spread all over Western Europe. 
But Egypt, like Greece and Rome, to-day does not enjoy 
that high degree of civilization which she did centuries 
ago. She has also lost that polished literature, and the 
arts and sciences practised by her forefathers, and her 
people have become a benighted race. 

March 11th, — To-day we ride out to the citadel, not 
so much to see the structure itself, or the grand mosque, 
as for the panoramic view of the city and the valley of 
the Nile, which it commands. This magnificent sight 
alone would pay a traveler for coming to this far-off 
<3ountry, even if he should see nothing else. As we stand 
upon this bold parapet, the whole of Cairo, both ancient 
and modern, lies at our feet. On the borders of the city 
flows the Nile, winding its way through the lovely valley 
until lost in the distance, and containing the little island 
of Rhoda, upon whose borders Moses was found in the 
bulrushes by the king's daughter. The Pyramids and 
the Sphinx, which are but a few miles off, sit now, as 
they did forty or fifty centuries ago, in silent majesty. 

Although the citadel has been rendered unreliable as 
a fortress, it very justly excites admiration. Like those 



318 AROUND THE WORLD, 

in India which we saw, it is a combination of fortifica- 
tions, palaces, and mosques. It stands on a bluff three 
bundred feet above the Nile. A well, which supplies 
water to the citadel, is an object of much curiosity and 
interest. It was excavated by Saladin, and is com- 
monly known as Joseph's Well. It is two hundred and 
seventy feet deep, and consists of two stories or cham- 
bers ; the water is raised from the bottom, one hundred 
and twenty feet, into the first chamber, worked by men 
stationed at the bottom, thence it is brought to the top 
of the well by another mechanical process. A winding 
staircase leads from top to bottom. 

In the citadel is the court in which the Mamelukes 
were treacherously massacred, by order of Mehemet Ali^ 
in 1811. Here stands one of the khedive's numerous 
palaces, occupied by one of the princes. But the most 
imposing modern structure in the citadel is the mosque 
of Mehemet Ali. This mosque, by reason of its advan- 
tageous site, its grand dimensions, and its lofty dome and 
minarets, is the most conspicuous and admired object in 
Cairo. It is constructed, both within and without, in- 
cluding walls, columns, and dome, of white alabaster. 
The tomb in which the remains of Mehemet Ali rest is 
very beautiful ; the sarcophagus is of alabaster, covered 
with rich tapestry. 

The Jews, in the time of the Pharaohs, found Egypt 
a storehouse of corn ; the Greeks and Romans, at a later 
period, found it a storehouse of monuments and relics, and 
eagerly carried them away. The spoils of Egypt are seen 
in Rome, Naples, Paris, Berlin, Constantinople, Amster- 



EGYPT, 319 

dam, and even in London. But to-day we find Egypt in 
a state of transition, gradually emerging from a condition 
of darkness into a more enliglitened civilization. 

March 12th. — To-day we attend the Presbyterian 
Mission church ; preaching in Arabic by Dr. Lansing. 
The doctor informed us that the mission- work in Cairo 
was greatly on the increase. There are now three thou- 
sand nominal Christians, and six hundred communicants, 
in all Egypt. During the last ^ve years, the number 
has more than doulded. 

March 13th. — The camel and donkey do the work of 
vehicles in all parts of Egypt, carrying merchandise and 
products — even sacks of brick, stone, earth, and timber — 
upon their backs. When the camel is to receive his 
load, he is instructed to fall upon his knees, and, when 
loaded, to rise, go to his place of destination, and again 
kneel until his load is discharged. When a camel is 
loaded, he will cry, signifying that he has as much bur- 
den as he can carry. The donkey is also a very useful 
animal, and can carry as large loads on his back as one 
of our ordinary horses ; yet, he is not one-quarter the 
size of a horse. But, since Cairo and Alexandria have 
become more modernized, business -men have brought 
into use English horses and carts, with which they can 
do more than double the work formerly accomplished. 
The streets are filled with saddled donkeys going hither 
and thither, led by donkey-boys, soliciting strangers to 
ride. Here, as in India, caravans are numerous. More 
than a hundred camels may sometimes be seen on the 
desert, either loaded with pilgrims — consisting of men. 



320 AROUND THE WORLD. 

women, and children — or merchandise. It is said that 
it is not uncommon for one train to bring in enough cot- 
ton, sugar, tobacco, or corn, to load an ordinary sailing- 
ship, and they are often from four to six weeks on their 
joarney. It is a most interesting sight to see a caravan 
in the distance, especially crossing the desert; they re- 
semble a line of mei'chant-ships more than anything else. 
The pyramids may well be classed with the great 
wonders of the world. Underneath these monuments 
lies the dust of Egy]3t's early kings. They are immense 
structures, that of Cheops measuring seven hundred and 
sixty-four feet at its base, and gradually tapering up 
to the height of four hundred and eighty feet. They 
have doubtless cost more to build than the ancient city 
of Cairo, which contains over four hundred thousand in- 
habitants. Two of the largest of them stand about one- 
eighth of a mile apart. The stone of which they are 
built is supposed to have been l)rought from Thebes, 
some six hundred miles up the Mle. Some of the larger 
blocks are twenty feet long, and from fiye to six feet 
thick. I saw an estimate, made by a scientific gentle- 
man, which shows that there is stone enough in these 
two pyramids to build a wall, four feet high and eight 
inches thick, reaching^ from New York to San Francisco ! 
The natives are at a loss to know how these immense 
blocks of stone were transported from such a great dis- 
tance without the use of machinerv and wheel-carriao^es, 
and say that the modern inhabitants are incompetent, 
and have not the knowledge necessary, to enable them 
to erect such stupendous structures at the present day 



EGYPT. 



321 



These two pyramids are situated about iive miles from 
tlie city of Cairo, on the yqvj edge of the Great Sahara 
Desert, which is covered with sand-hills. When the wind 
blows hard it is impossible to see, on account of the 
dense clouds of sand, which sliift and roll up like the 




THE SPHINX. 



waves of the ocean. It requires several weeks of hard 
labor for a caravan of camels to cross over this vast 
desert, and during a heavy gale of wind they are com- 
pelled to pitch their tents and remain until it abates. 
I am informed that, after a gale, they have often to 



322 AROUND THE WORLD. 

excavate their way out from the sand-banks that have 
formed over their tents during its continuance. 

The Sphinx is situated within a few hundred feet of 
the pyramids, and is a colossal figure hewed out of the 
solid rock, excepting the fore-paws, which have been 
attached ; it is an enormous monster with gigantic arms^ 
between which was formerly held a miniature temple, 
with a flight of steps to approach it. In former times 
its head bore either the royal helmet, or the ram's-horns. 
It is sixty-three feet high, its human-shaped head twelve 
feet long, the nose four feet long, and the mouth two feet 
wide. It is conceded by many to be the most wonder- 
ful of the Egyptian monuments, and the more I looked 
at it, the more striking it appeared. Most people never 
weary in gazing upon its human form. When and for 
what purpose this vast image was constructed, no one can 
give a satisfactory account. 

The Mohammedans are very devout in their mode of 
worship. They have no altars in their mosques ; they 
worship no graven images, nor pictures of any kind. 
Before entering their places of worship, it is the custom 
to wash their hands and feet ; others strip off and wash 
their entire bodies, in a fountain of water in an outer 
court kept for that purpose. When they enter the 
mosque, they bow again and again, some ten or twelve 
times, and at length prostrate their bodies upon the mar- 
ble floor with their faces down, and, after a few minutes 
of silent prayer, rise upon their feet, make as many genu- 
flections as at first, and leave the mosque. They have as 
much regard for, and keep Friday as sacredly, as we do 



EGYPT. ^^^ 

the Christian sabbath. They believe in Christ — that he 
did exist — and that he was a great prophet, even greater 
than Moses, but do not look upon him as the Saviour 
of the world. Instead of accepting Christ, they recognize 
Mohammed as their prophet and mediator. A man is 
stationed at the entrance to the mosque, whose duty it 
is to furnish visitors with slippers to put on their feet 
lest they defile the floor. 

The Arabians are the descendants of Ishmael, and 
half-brothers of the Jews. Abraham had two sons — 
the first-born, Ishmael, by Hagar, an Egyptian hand- 
maiden ; the second son, Isaac, by Sarah, his wife — both 
of whom received the blessing, with the promise that 
each should become a great nation. Hence they became 
two distinct peoples, and both claim Abraham as their 
father, and both races also reject Christ as the Saviour 
of the world. While the Jews number only about four 
million, the Arabs and their various ofi*shoots comprise 
some ten or fifteen million. 

Almost every spot of ground in and around Cairo is 
classic to the Christian world. This is the land in which 
Joseph ruled over the Egyptians; this is the land in 
which the sons of Jacob came to buy corn ; this is the 
land in which Jacob and his descendants dwelt four huu~ 
dred and thirty years ; this is also the land into which 
Joseph and Mary fied with the infant Jesus, in order to 
escape the wrath of King Herod of Judea. When Jacob 
entered Egypt his family only consisted of seventy souls ; 
when they took their departure, after the lapse of four 
hundred and thirty years, they had increased to six hun- 



^24 ASOrXD THE WOELD. 

dred tlionsaud men, besides the Tromeii and cliildren and 
a mixed mnltitude who went c)nt witli them; doubtless 
tlie entire nation amounted in all to over a million. It 
must liave been a grand siglit to tliose wlio witnessed 
the exodus of this large concourse of people marching 
on foot, through the coimtry, on their way back to the 
pu'omised land. As I gazed over the large, picturesque, 
and fertile plain, dotted with the royal palm, and other 
scattering Oriental trees, the general topography and 
iispect of the country so clearly delined by the sacred 
Scriptures, I could almost imagine that I saw the great 
host on their march, the pillar of cL^ud leading them on 
by day, and the heavy curtain hung up by the hand of 
Ood to protect them from their pursuers by night. 

This morning we took our departure from Cairo by 
the eight o'clock train for Alexandria : distance one hun- 
dred and twenty miles, fare twenty-tive piasters each. 
AVe rode the greater part of the way along the margin 
of the Xile, the country rich in fertility and dotted with 
towns ancl hamlets. There are no forests, and but few 
groves, except of the date-palm, and orange and lemon 
"trees, with an occasional s} camore, acacia, or mulberry- 
tree. The chief fruits are the date, grape, lig. pome- 
oTanate, banana, manv kinds of melons, and the olive; 
the vegetables are of many kinds and excellent quality, 
forming the principal food of the common people. The 
most important lield-products are wheat, corn, cotton, 
sugar-cane, tobacco, barley, millet, and tlax. The cattle 
that we saw were in excellent condition : but the camels, 
which make long journeys in crossing the deserts, seemed 



EGYPT. 



325 



ill fed and badly kept. The birds of Egypt are not re> 
markable for beauty of plumage — in so open a country 
this is natural ; among the birds of prey, the most com- 
mon are of the scavenger class, such as the vulture and 
kite. Among the reptiles are crocodiles, frogs, snakes. 




A ■WOMAN ON THE NILE. 



etc.; the scorpion is found in the desert. Among de- 
structive insects are locusts, which sometimes come upon 
the cultivated land in a cloud. Fleas are also prevalent ; 
they not only annoyed us in the streets, but followed us 
to the hotels, and even besieged the bedchambers. 

The inundation of the Nile, which commonly occurs 



J 



^26 ABOUND TEE WORLD., 

once a year, fertilizes and sustains the country and makes 
the river its chief blessing, a very slight overflow or 
failure of risino^ beins^ the cause of famine. There is 
-scarcely a country in the world where famine has raged 
30 terribly, at diiferent times, as in the land of Egypt. 
In the year 1199, in consequence of the great inunda- 
tion, a terrible famine ensued, accompanied by indescrib- 
able enormities. Human flesh was a common article 
of food; man-catching became a regular business; and 
the greater part of the population were swept away by 
famine and disease. Even in the time of Joseph, the 
famine continued unabated for seven years, all the money 
of the inhabitants being spent in purchasing corn ; they 
also parted with their horses, flocks, and horned cattle, 
and the very land which they cultivated was made over 
1;o the sovereign^ in consideration of their receiving from 
the public stores a supply of food. The people were no 
longer the proprietors, but mere cultivators of the soil. 
The sovereign became the freeholder of the entire land 
in the kingdom, and his subjects were to pay him a fifth 
part of the produce by way of rent for the lands which 
they occupied (excepting those held by the priests, which 
were not sold), and eat the portion of food which 
Pharaoh gave them. It seldom rains in Egypt, except- 
ing at the time of the equinoxes, when the country is 
inundated like India during the overflow of the Ganges, 
Indus, and other large rivers. During the dry seasons 
the people resort to artificial irrigation. As we ride 
along, wells may be seen scattered in every direction 
over the face of the country, both men and women being 



EGYPT. 32^ 

engaged in drawing water to put on tlie land. We ar- 
rive in Alexandria at 1 p. m., having been ^lyq hours on 
our passage from Cairo, and take board in the Hotel 
de I'Europe at sixty piasters a day. 

The city of Alexandria is situated at the mouth of 
the Nile, facing the Mediterranean Sea, and contains 
about two hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants. It 
was founded by Alexander the Great, 332 b. c. The 
people are a mixed race, having representatives from 
almost every nation. They are of a dark copper-color, 
such as we have seen in Japan, China, and India. The 
women, when in the street, wear a close white veil with 
two small holes in front, of the size of a penny, to look 
through ; and were it not for the veils it would be dif- 
ficult to distinguish the men from the women, their dress 
is so very similar. 

Alexandria is a famous seaport for all Egypt. When 
I was here in 1867 the streets were not paved, and it 
was decidedly the most filthy city that I had ever wit- 
nessed ; but since then many of the narrow streets have 
been both widened and straightened, and paved with 
square blocks of stone, which give the city a fine appear- 
ance. The more distinctively Oriental part, however, 
remains with the same narrow streets, excepting that 
they have been paved, and are kept cleaner than for- 
TQerly. Our hotel fronts on the great public square, 
^hich on either side is lined with fine residences in the 
European style. It seems as if we had already entered 
Europe, and left Egypt behind us. A throng of fashion- 
-ably-dressed Europeans are promenading up and down 



328 



AROUND THE WORLD. 




r ^w 



POM PET'S PILLAR. 



the square ; and French and English equipages are seen 
driving by. The khedive has a handsome palace here, 
in which he resides during his short sojourn in Alex- 
andria. This is the meeting-point of the East and West, 
of the old and new civilizations. Here are camels, don- 
keys, dock-yards, arsenals, steam-engines, factories, mills, 
and many other modern improvements, indicating that 
the old order of things has changed, and given way to 
the new. The Oriental part of the town abounds with 



EGYPT. 329 

€amels, goats, dogs, and Egyptian donkeys, tlie latter 
being used for carrying people and mercliandise tL rough 
the streets, and upon short jaunts, and the camels are 
employed in long journeys, for the transportation of mer- 
chandise and produce across the desert. 

Pompey's Pillar is one of the attractive sights, erected 
1495 B. c. ; it stands on a dreary and solitary mound, 
which overlooks the lake and the modern city. It is a 
noble Corinthian column; the fluted shaft, which is 
formed of one piece of red granite, is seventy-three feet 
high, the circumference at the base is twenty-one feet, 
gradually diminishing to the top. At the eastern ex- 
tremity of the city, in an opposite direction, stands Cleo- 
patra's Needle, formed of one block of stone, seventy 
feet high. Another needle, of the same size and form as 
the first, lies upon the ground partly covered with sand. 
It was presented to the British Government by Mehemet 
Ali in 1820, but the vast expense prevented its removal. 

Alexander the Great, with his Macedonians, entered 
and conquered the country 332 b. c. After him came 
the Greek dynasty, who ruled Egypt till it became a 
Roman province under Augustus Caesar, 30 b. c. It was 
overrun by the Saracens a. d 640, and became a Turkish 
province in 1517. From 1805 to 1849 Mehemet Ali was 
pasha and Viceroy of Egypt ; and it is now governed by 
the khedive, Ismail Pasha. 

The Scriptures have been strikingly fulfilled in re- 
gard to Egypt. From the second Persian conquest, more 
than two thousand years ago, until now, not a single 
native ruler has occupied the throne of Egypt. 

22 



CHAPTEE XXXI. 



MEDITEEEAIN'EAN SEA. 



March \Mli. — At nine o'clock this mornino; we take 
passage on board the Frenck steamship Erymanthe, for 
Naples; distance about a thousand miles, fare two hun- 
dred and sev^enty-five francs apiece. Alexandria is one 
of the principal seaports bordering on the Mediterranean. 
As we are leaving the port we see flags floating to the 
breeze from, the numerous mast-heads, representing al- 
most every nationality, among them the stars and stripes 
of our own country. There are several lines of ships 
sailing almost daily to all parts of the Levant. Palestine 
may be reached twice a week, of which Jaffa, three hun- 
dred and twelve miles distant, is the chief port for tour- 
ists to the Holy Land ; time twenty-four hours. I hav- 
ing visited Syria and Palestine on a previous tour, we 
therefore thought it best to go direct to Italy. 

March 15th. — Our ship is filled with passengers of 
all nationalities — English, Americans, French, Italians, 
Spaniards, Egyptians, and Arabs — the greater part of 
whom are first-class people, very polite and graceful in 
their movements, especially the ladies. But the Mediter- 
ranean is not as graceful in its movements as some of the 
Eastern seas which we have traversed. It generally 
takes one or two days to get used to the sea and to one 



MEDITEBEANEAK SEA, 331 

another, and to learn each other's histories, when little 
groups begin to form ; distinct nationalities commonly 
flock together, s])ending an hour or two either on deck 
or in the saloon. 

March I6th, — This morning, and during the greater 
part of the forenoon, we sailed along the island of Crete, 
commonly called Candia. This is one of the large 
islands of the Mediterranean, it being one hundred and 
sixty miles in length, and fifty in its greatest breadth. 
Christianity was introduced into this island by the 
apostle Paul, who left Titus here as its minister to carry 
on the work which he had begun. I iind, by referring to 
my log, that thus far we have traveled by sea and land 
about twenty-one thousand and seventy miles, of which 
sixty-five hundred and thirty were over land, and four- 
teen thousand five hundred and forty by sea ; the distance 
in a straight line would have been much shorter, but we 
have made detours both up and down as well as around 
the world, all the way in search of the far West, and we 
liave no knowledge at hand to show how much farther 
we have to travel before reaching its culminating point. 
Neither shall we, in going round the world, be able to 
recover the 20th of last October, which we virtually 
leaped over and lost from the calendar, as if we had not 
Jived it, although by the canceled day we really lost no 
time from life's history. I am told, if we should return 
to America by the way we came, at the same spot upon 
the Pacific Ocean, we should recover the day. This is a 
scientific riddle, however, for scholars to explain, and it 
might form a feature for some future school examinations^ 



332 AROUND THE WORLD. 

March 17 th. — ^This afternoon we pass througli the 
strait of Messina, two miles in width— the beautiful 
island of Sicily on one side, and the coast of the Italian 
Peninsula on the other. Here we see the volcano Mount 
Etna, looming up into the clouds in all its majesty, its 
summit covered with snow, while at the base vegetation 
is in bloom. It was not in eruption, although we could 
see a small volume of smoke at intervals issuing from its 
peak. Mount Etna is ten thousand eight hundred and 
seventy-two feet above the sea-level, and its base is 
twenty miles in circumference. 

Sicily is the largest, finest, most fruitful, and most 
celebrated island in the Mediterranean. Its greatest 
length is about one hundred and eighty miles, by one 
hundred in its greatest breadth. It was in ancient times 
the seat of many flourishing Greek colonies, and the pre- 
sumption is that its population then was double what it 
is at the present time. It has undergone many bloody 
revolutions. The Carthaginians once held it ; then the 
Romans ; afterward the Goths ; then the Saracens, and 
again the Normans ; afterward the French ; and now it 
is held and governed by Victor Emmanuel of Italy. 
Messina, situated on the strait, is the chief city of the 
island, and is a prominent seaport for the shipment of 
oranges and other fruits to England and the United 
States. During the early part of the evening we passed 
by the volcano Stromboli, which is situated upon a small 
island, resembling a sugar-loaf. Earthquakes are of fre- 
quent occurrence upon the islands of the Mediterranean^ 
but the climate is pure and highly salubrious. 



MEDITERRANEAN SEA. 333 

March ISth, — At 1 p. m. we arrived at Naples, having 
been four days and four hours on our passage from 
Egypt. After our luggage had undergone a slight ex- 
amination by the custom-house authorities, we rode to 
the Hotel des Etrangers, getting board at ten lire per day 
€ach. A lira is equal to nineteen and one-fifth cents of 
American coin, and is the standard of value of Italy. 



CHAPTER XXXIL 



The city of Naples is very handsomely situated on 
tlie side of a mountain, sloping gradually down to the 
Mediterranean Sea, winding itself round a spacious and 
beautiful bay, and contains a population of five hundred 
thousand. It is a very ancient city, founded by the^ 
people of Cumse, a colony from Greece, who gradually 
spread themselves round the bay of Naples, and it was 
named from this circumstance Neopolis, or tbe " New 
City." It was also called Parthenope, from its being the 
burial-place of one of the sirens of that name. Naples 
was of old, as it is now, a chosen seat of pleasure. Its 
bot baths were not surpassed by any ; and tbe number 
and excellence of its theatres and other j)laces of amuse- 
ment, its matchless scenery, the mildness of its climate^ 
and the luxury and effeminacy of its inhabitants, made 
it a favorite retreat for the wealthy Romans. After tbe 
fall of the Roman Empire it underwent many vicissitudes,, 
and, notwithstanding tbe calamities it bas suffered from 
war and earthquakes, it is to-day the most populous city 
in Italy. 

March \*i)tli. — Yesterday we arrived in port just in 
time to escape one of the most fearful storms that have 
visited tbis vicinity for many years. We came into port 



ITALY: NAPLES, ROME, ETC. 335 

at one o'clock in the afternoon, and the gale commenced 
at three, raging for three days and nights without inter- 
mission, during which time many ships ah)ng the Italian 
coast were wrecked. To-day the gale is still so violent 
that we dare not venture into the streets. 

Marcli ^Otli. — In regard to the manners and customs 
of Naples, they only can be learned by close observation 
of the habits of the middle class, for it is next to impos- 
sible for a stranger, even with good introductions, to 
know enough of the aristocracy of any large city to form 
a correct judgment of their domestic habits. Almost all 
families here, except those in the very highest ranks, live 
in stories or flats, each story being a distinct habitation. 
It is said that the society of Naples is anything but 
moral. The nobility are fond of great show and splen- 
dor. The women are proud, even when very poor ; they 
never go out, either to walk or ride, without seemingly 
making strenuous efforts to fascinate the other sex. The 
streets are thronged with people, who thread their way 
through a thousand obstacles, pushing and elbowing each 
other in every direction, while laughing and exchanging 
jokes w^th the greatest good-humor. The people here, 
as in Paris and Rome, spend the greater part of their 
time out-of-doors — livino- as it were on the streets. While 
the higher class sit around the small circular tables on 
the sidewalk?, sipping their wines and partaking of other 
luxuries, the common people occupy the middle of the 
streets, some with their portable stoves, dealing out from 
their frying-pans to the hungry tlie universal macaroni, 
which is the favorite dish of the Neapolitans, and filling 



^ 



336 AROU^^D THE WORLD. 

tlie air witli tlie smell of frying aiid other culinary odors. 
Foreigners are soon recognized and besieged by the lower 
class of peddlers, offering canes, flowers, and other small 
trifles for sale, or wishing to clean boots; and many 
offered their services to guide us through the streets or 
to the public institutions, and by the cabmen we were 
importuned on every corner to take rides in or out of 
town. ' 

March 21st. — It is principally in respect to its situ- 
ation that Naples surpasses other Italian cities. The 
streets are somewhat winding, but of good width, paved 
with blocks of lava, laid in mortar, and are said to re- 
semble the old Roman roads. The dwellings are well 
built, of a species of white limestone resembling marble, 
from five to six stories in height. The view from Naples 
embraces the whole coast toward the east, which is lined 
with a continuation of villages, and the picturesque little 
island of Capri rising out of the sea in the distance. 

It was in this city that St. Paul landed when on his 
way from Palestine, and thence, in company with other 
prisoners, passed overland into Rome to be tried for trea- 
son before Caesar. 

March 2'2d. — ^This morning we rode out some twelve 
miles, to the old volcano Solfatara. The ride was a pleas- 
ant one, over a good road winding around the bay of 
Naples. The early history of this old volcano is lost in 
antiquity; I am informed, however, that its eruptions 
caused much damage in former ages. It is situated upon 
a mountain, only a short distance from the sea, and its 
summit has the form of a basin or plateau. As I saw it 



ITALY: NAPLES, ROME, ETC. 337 

years ago, so it remained to-day, vomiting fortli hot sul- 
phur, steam, and smoke, making an angry noise and 
puffing like a steam-engine, and, though no fire was vis- 
ible, doubtless it was not far distant, as the ground was 
quite warm, and in places u23od the summit we saw pools 
of water mingled with mud, which had reached the boil- 
ing-point. We returned to Naples through the tunnel 
underneath the mountain, thus reducing tlie distance 
nearly one-half. On our return we visited the aquarium, ' 
which has the best sup23ly of the inhabitants of the sea 
that I have seen in any part of the world. 

March 23d. — We visited the museum, where many 
curious things are deposited from Pompeii, consisting of 
human skeletons, kitchen-utensils, lamps, carpenters' and 
smiths' tools, images, the skeletons of horses and dogs, 
pieces of charred books, cloth, cords, and a variety of 
other things brought from the ruined city. 

March 24:th. — We rode out to Mount Vesuvius, about 
twelve miles east from the city, and four from the sea. 
This famous volcano can well be ranked among tke great 
natural wonders of tbe world. Vesuvius is not now in 
active eruption, but there is a continual issue of thick 
volumes of black smoke ascending from its crater for 
several hundred feet, which we saw on our passage to 
Naples, some forty miles distant. W^hen I was here in 
1868, Vesuvius was in full eruption, vomiting from its 
summit volumes of smoke, mingled with lire and volcanic 
matter, whicb ascended a thousand feet or more. As 
the lava issued from the volcano it ran down through a 
ravine on the side of the mountain, like a small river of 



338 AROUND THE WORLD. 

red-hot metal, of a bright-crimson color, and of the con- 
sistency of thick mortar. In its onwai'd course it spread 
over the side of the mountain, covering a superficial area 
of from forty to fifty acres of ground, presenting one of 
the grandest and most sublime spectacles in Nature ever 
beheld by man. 

About three years ago Vesuvius was again in active 
eruption, which continued for several weeks, presenting 
scenes of horror and devastation seldom witnessed. It 
is said, by those ^vho observed the occurrence, that great 
volumes of dense, white smoke, like fleeces of wool, as- 
cended from the crater to the height of five thousand 
feet or more, accompanied by earthquake-shocks, making 
a deafenino^ noise, roaring like ten thousand thunders, 
while clouds of ashes, dust, and red-hot stones were car- 
ried to a distance of some ten or twelve miles. More 
than forty thousand persons fled from Naples to escajDe 
the impending danger, among whom sixty were killed 
and many wounded. Witnesses of such sights and sounds 
might well fancy themselves assisting at the cannonading 
of some tremendous fortress, accompanied with continu- 
ous explosions of powder-magazines ; but the last erup- 
tion was still more fearful, and can scarcely be realized 
by those who did not witness the occurrence. 

Vesuvius was a burning mountain two thousand years 
before the Christian era. Its fires slumbered for a while, 
but just before the time that Paul landed in Naples it 
was seized with convulsions, by which the whole region 
was shaken, and both Pompeii and Herculaneum were 
overwhelmed and destroyed. 



ITALY: NAPLES, ROME, ETC. 339 

March 2^th, — We visited Pompeii, which fronts on 
the bay of Naples, not far from Vesuvius. Pompeii was 
demolished by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the 
year a. d. 79, and continued buried under ashes and 
other volcanic matter until within a few years, when the 
Neapolitan Government commenced making excavations 
to learn more as to the identity of the lost city. Pom- 
peii has the reputation of being the most wonderful of 
the antique cities of Italy, and scarcely second to any in. 
the world. The walls of this mysterious town are about 
twenty feet thick and twenty-five feet high. The streets 
are very well paved, curbed, and guttered, and have side- 
walks. The design of the dwellings and institutions 
is very good; some of the edifices are built of square 
blocks of white and colored marble, and others of brick. 
Judging from appearance, one would think that some of 
them have not been constructed more than a score of 
years. We turn to the right and to the left, and wander 
from street to street, and still we have the perfect image 
of a city before us, excepting that no inhabitants a2323ear, 
and we can but imagine that those who occupied it have 
only left a few days ago. Some parts of this ancient city 
still lie, from ten to thirty feet deep, underneath olive- 
orchards and gardens, where we saw laborers at work 
digging and carting away the dirt from off the ruins of 
this once fine town. The melancholy destruction of such 
a large place, by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, in a 
single night, without a moment's warning; the desola- 
tion which must have spread from dwelling to dwelling ; 
the flight of mother, father, sister, and brother, from the 



540 ABOUND THE WORLD. 

scene of terror and confusion, must awaken tlie deepest 
feelings of awe and sympathy in every human heart. 
We picture the sight of mothers with infants in their 
arms seeking safety and protection, gathering their little 
ones around them, trying to escape the impending dan- 
ger, yet plunged into a fearful eternity. 

I will now give a description of some of the most 
important edifices. As we entered the grounds we saw 
a number of petrified human bodies, some of them re- 
€ently excavated from underneath the ruins. They bore 
a striking resemblance to white marble, and were quite 
as heavy and hard as stone ; some of their features were 
as natural and distinct as on the night when suddenly 
buried by the torrent of lava. 

The House of Pensa, occupying an area of over three 
liundred feet by one hundred and twenty, and fronting 
on four streets, is a large and interesting mansion. The 
garden or court was about half as large as the house, 
with the remains of a fountain in the centre, and a reser- 
voir in one corner. In one of the bedrooms of this man- 
sion ^YQ female skeletons were found. 

The House of Apollo was another fine edifice, having 
richly-frescoed walls, with fountain and garden beauti- 
fully decorated. Upon one of the walls are figures of 
Apollo, Venus, and Juno. 

The Temple of Jupiter is another large edifice, situ- 
ated at the north end of the Forum. This location 
is the finest in the city, commanding from its elevated 
position a magnificent view of Mount Vesuvius. 

The Forum is by far the most spacious and imposing 



ITALY: NAPLES, ROME, ETC. 341 

spot in Pompeii, occupying an elevated position about 
four hundred yards from the Herculaneum Gate. 

The inner walls of the Temple of Augustus, or Pan- 
theon, are richly decorated. Among the paintings found 
here is that of Ulysses, in disguise, on his return from 
Ithaca, meeting Penelope. 

The Villa of Diomedes is an interesting and pleasant 
residence. Near the garden gate of this villa were found 
the skeletons of the owner and his servant, one holding 
in his hand the keys of the house, the other carrying 
a purse which contained one hundred gold and silver 
coins, bearing the inscriptions of Nero and Titus. 

We saw a large number of mills, in different parts of 
the city, for grinding grain. They were built of two dis- 
tinct pieces of granite ; the lower stone was concave, 
about four feet in circumference and one foot through ; 
the upper stone was convex, of the same size, cut in 
grooves, and resting on the lower one ; through the head 
of the upper stone were two holes, in which to place 
bars, so that two persons could turn the mill. These 
mills reminded me of the parable in Scripture related 
by our Saviour: "Two women shall be grinding at 
the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left." 
Here we also saw a large number of cooking-utensils, 
such as bowls, cups and saucers, pans and ladles, all of 
copper manufacture, and knives and forks, such as are 
now in general use; also carpenters' tools, saws, files^ 
axes, augers, chisels, and many others, some of them 
quite as modern in their construction as those in use at 
the present day. 



o^42 AROUND THE WORLD. 

The edifices to which I have alluded are built with 
Mgh ceilings, frescoed walls, and marble floors, sur- 
mounted with high, fluted columns with Corinthian 
caps, and somewhat modern in construction, all of which 
have been covered until recently with lava and other 
volcanic matter for the period of eighteen hundred years. 
Too much cannot be said or learned of these old ruins, 
with the condition of which every student of ancient 
history should be familiar. 

March ^Wh. — To-day, owing to the prevalence of a 
sudden and unexpected storm, we are confined to the 
precincts of our hotel. 

March 'i^th, — We called on B. O. Duncan, American 
consul, who cordially received us, and gave us much and 
valued information concerning Naples and its environs, 
and also of the people. 

March ^%th, — To-day we devoted chiefly to shopping. 
The stores are filled with rich and costly goods, of which 
red coral and lava- work are the specialties. 

March 2^th. — We spent the day riding in and around 
the town. There are many attractions to be met with 
in Naples and its suburbs, and one might profitably 
spend three months in the inspection of noteworthy and 
beautiful objects. 

March SOth. — This morning we took our departure 
by the quarter-past six o'clock train for Rome ; distance 
two hundred miles, fare twenty-seven lire each. The 
environs and suburbs of Naples are rich in scenery. 
When far distant from the city, we saw the smoke issu- 
ing from the crater of Mount Vesuvius, forming heavy, 



ITALY: NAPLES, ROME, ETC. 343 

dark clouds. At Caserta, not far from Naples, we passed 
by one of the king's country palaces. In the distance 
we caught sight of the range of the Apennines, which 
extends the entire length of Italy. Many of these moun- 
tains, it is said, are infested with bandits and robbers, 
who get their living by plunder. The land uj)on the 
plain is fertile ; the farmers are now ploughing the ground, 
and some planting corn and potatoes. The country 
everywhere is covered with the mulberry-tree, which 
affords food for the silkworm, and supports for the grape- 
vine. Every farmer is compelled by law to have grow- 
ing upon his land a certain number of trees, according 
to the number of acres he works. The country is dotted 
with towns and villages ; the more ancient are chiefly 
built either upon the sides or tops of the mountains, sur- 
rounded by stone walls ; but the modern towns are now 
being constructed upon the plains, without walls. The 
country roads are macadamized and in excellent order, 
lined with ox- teams, donkey-carts, and foot-travelers, on 
their way to and from Naples. At 4.30 p. m. we arrived 
in Rome, and found our way to the Hotel de Minerve, 
board nine lire per day. 

March ^Ist. — The city of Rome is beautifully situ- 
ated upon the river Tiber, partly on seven hills, which 
formed the chief site of ancient Rome. Four of these 
hills, once the scene of so many exciting and bloody 
events, are now covered by gardens and vineyards. 
Rome, once the most celebrated of European cities, and 
famous both in ancient and modern history — formerly 
as being the chief city of the most powerful nation of 



344 AROUND THE WORLD. 

antiquity, and afterward as the ecclesiastical capital of 
Christendom and the residence of the pope — now is 
under the government of the King of Italy. At an early 
period she was considered the mistress of the entire^ 
known world, holding in her grasp the destiny of all 
nations ; her territory spreading over Europe, Asia, Af- 
rica, and the islands of the sea, teeming with millions of 
inhabitants. She is now reduced to a comparatively 
small town, surrounded by a zigzag wall, and containing 
only about two hundred thousand souls. The city is 
very well built, of a species of white stone or marble^ 
giving the houses a pretty appearance, but the streets 
are both narrow and crooked, running in every conceiv- 
able direction, and thronged with people. The stranger 
and the unwary have to " blaze " their way through the 
noisy crowd, for fear of being lost at every crook and 
corner. Ko'me is characterized by fine churches, which 
are the centre of attraction to the pleasure-seeker and 
the curious. The city contains in all three hundred and 
sixty-five churches, of which St. Peter's is the most prom- 
inent. This church is situated on Vatican Hill, over- 
looking the city, is built in the shape of a Latin cross, 
and is six hundred and seven feet in length by four hun- 
dred and forty-five feet in width ; the height of the dome, 
from the pavement to the top of the cross, is four hun- 
dred and forty-eight feet. This church was one hundred 
and seventy-six years in building, at a cost, when labor 
was less than half what it is now, of fifty million dollars. 
It is decidedly the largest Christian church in the world, 
built of white marble, and its style of architecture is 



ITALY: NAPLES, ROME, ETC. 345 

modern, cliaste, and classical. After one lias beheld St. 
Peter's the interest is greatly lessened in seeing other 
churches. The pope is the head of the Catholic Church, 
and is assisted by seventy-two cardinals, some of whom 
reside in Rome, and others in different parts of the world. 
At the decease of the pojDe, a choice is made by election 
of one of the cardinals to fill his place, who holds the 
office for life. 

I will only briefly advert to some of the principal 
antique edifices in Rome. The Colosseum was built 
A. D. 79, in honor of Titus, on his return from the Jewish 
war ; sixty thousand captive Jews were employed for ten 
years in its construction. It is built of large blocks of 
white stone, four stories high, and consists of three orders 
of architecture — the first, Doric ; second, Ionic ; third and 
fourth, Corinthian. In each of the lower tiers there are 
eighty arches ; the circumference of the building is six- 
teen hundred and forty-one feet, the heigM of the outer 
walls one hundred and fifty-seven feet, and the length of 
the arena two hundred and seventy-eight feet ; the whole 
superficial area covers six acres of ground, and would seat 
eighty-seven thousand persons. At the time of its inau- 
guration, whicli continued for one hundred days, fiXQ 
thousand wild animals and ten thousand captive Jews 
were slain within its walls for the amusement of the spec- 
tators. Titus himself died about this time. 

The Temple of Venus was another famous structure, 
but there only remain to denote its site numerous frag- 
ments of marble columns strewed upon the ground. It 
was built by Hadrian, after his own design, and there is 

23 



346 AROUND THE WORLD. 

a stoiy to the effect that when it was finished he asked 
an eminent architect what he thought of it. The latter 
replied that it was very good for an emperor. Hadrian 
took such offense that he immediately sent for an ofiicer 
of his guard, and ordered the architect's head cut off. 
This temple was constructed in the year a. d. 67. After 
its completion, people came from all parts of the Eastern 
world to see this royal palace, which is said to have been 
richly adorned with paintings and sculpture, and also to 
have contained the golden candlesticks and the golden 
tables, and other pieces of valuable furniture, brought 
by Titus from the great Temple of Jerusalem on his re- 
turn from the Jewish War. But nothins; is visible of 
those precious relics ; now they either have been removed 
or else destroyed by the lapse of ages. The palace itself 
is in a decayed condition, although there is enongh re- 
maining to furnish evidence of its old-time magnitude 
and splendor. 

The old Roman Senate-chamber is worthy of note on 
account of its historic associations. This chamber was 
once the scene of many bloody acts and exciting debates. 
It was in this hall that St. Paul pleaded his cause before 
Csesar. There remain now only a few fragments of 
broken columns to identify the spot where the old Ro- 
man chamber once stood. 

The Pantheon is also an edifice of great interest. It 
was built for a heathen temple by King Agrippa, in the 
year a. d. 27. It is circular, and contains one of the 
largest domes in Europe, supported by a bronze ring. 
The building is in a good state of preservation, and is 



ITALY: NAPLES, ROME, ETC. ^\^ 

BOW used as a cliurcli for Catholic worship. It is not at 
all to be wondered at that edifices last for so long a pe- 
riod in these countries, since they are built in the most 
substantial manner of stone and cement combined. There 
is no wood in their construction to decay ; even the doors 
and window-frames are of bronze. 

The Forum is of great interest. On entering it from 
the Via Bonella, we have the Capitol above us at the 
right, and at the foot of the walls the remains of the 
Temple of Concord, the three remaining columns of the 
Temple of Vespasian, and the colonnade of the Temj^le 
of Saturn. At a short distance looms up the Temple 
of Antoninus, and at the right are the huge ruins of 
Caesar's Palace. 

The Vatican is the capitol of modern Rome, and ad- 
joins St. Peter's Church. It is three stories in height, 
and comprises an infinite number of rooms, galleries, cor- 
ridors, chapels, a library of a hundred thousand vol- 
umes, and a museum of immense size. It has twenty 
courts, with eight grand stairways and two hundred 
smaller ones. In history it is the most celebrated of all 
papal palaces. It is composed of a mass of buildings 
erected by many different popes, covering a space twelve 
hundred feet in length and a thousand in breadth. 

This palace is the pope's principal residence when he 
is in Korae. The grounds are laid out with very good 
taste, adorned with ornamental trees and choice flowers. 
The interior of the palace is very elegantly furnished, its 
walls decorated with the finest paintings, and its ceilings 
with the richest frescoes. By our valet de ])lace we were 



348 AROUND THE WORLD, 

conducted tLrougli some of the principal chambers. "We 
first entered the hall of audience for the embassadors ; 
this hall is finely decorated with stucco ornaments, and 
covered with frescoes, illustrating events in the history 
of the popes. We next entered the Sistine Chapel, which 
is approached from this hall. On admission, we paid the 
custodian a small fee. The frescoes on the walls are very 
fine, having been executed by eminent artists, employed 
by the different popes to do the work; the subjects are 
principally taken from the Old Testament, and are con- 
ceived in a spirit of sublime grandeur. The most at- 
tractive painting in this hall is opposite the entrance; it 
represents the last judgment; it is sixty feet high and 
thirty broad, and was executed by Michael Angelo, 
Here also is another large painting, representing the 
transfiguration. This painting seems to express the mis- 
eries of human life, and leads those who are afflicted to 
look to heaven for comfort and relief. The upper por- 
tion of the composition represents Mount Tabor ; on the 
ground the three apostles are lying, deeply affected by 
the supernatural light which proceeds from the divinity 
of Christ, who, accompanied by Moses and Elijah, is 
floating in the air. On one side are nine apostles, and 
on the other a multitude of people. This splendid work 
of art was executed by Raphael. 

We were also conducted through the Gallery of Stat- 
ues, where we saw all kinds of sculpture. The principal 
objects of attraction are the two sarcophagi of immense 
size. One of them was for Constantia, the daughter of 
Constantine, who died a. d. 354 ; the other for the Em- 



ITALY: NAPLES, ROME, ETC. 349 

press Helena. There are many other things of note in 
the Vatican, which would require several days to ex- 
.amine satisfactorily. 

The Mamertine Prison is one of the most revolting 
prisons that I have ever examined. Directly over it 
stands an old church, on entering which we were con- 
ducted through a gloomy stairway till we came to a trap- 
door, through which we entered, descending sixteen stone 
steps, worn by the footsteps of the countless throng of 
visitors, till we approached a dark chamber about thirty 
feet square, which is directly underneath the floor of the 
church ; from this chamber we descended nearly as many 
steps as at first, to a lower chamber about the same size 
as the upper. We are now at least twenty-five feet below 
the earth's surface, where the light of the sun is never 
permitted to shine upon the countenances of those who 
are so unfortunate as to be locked up within the in- 
closure of its dark and gloomy walls. It was in this 
prison that St. Paul and St. Peter were incarcerated by 
Nero. After the two aj)ostles had been confined in this 
-dungeon for the period of nine months they were, by the 
order of Nero, taken out and executed. While St. Paul 
was being beheaded upon the Appian Way, some two 
miles outside of the limits of the present walls of the 
city, St. Peter, at the same hour, was hanging upon the 
ignominious cross on Vatican Hill, upon which spot St. 
Peter's Church has been erected in commemoration of the 
apostle's death; and there is also a very fine church 
erected over the spot where St. Paul fell a victim to the 
Eomans, called St. Paul's Church. 



350 AROUND THE WORLD. 

April 1st. — We hired a carriage and rode out several 
miles into the country, upon the Via Appia. On the 
way we passed by the old church of St. Sebastian, named 
after the venerable saint, who was martyred. The coun- 
try through which we rode is rather picturesque; the 
dwellings are of stone, with thick walls and small win- 
dows, and look as if they had stood for centuries, and 
would stand for centuries to come. The soil is not very 
fertile, though it could be made to produce very fair 
crops; but the farmers are seemingly devoid of enter- 
prise or skill. During our ride, we occasionally passed 
antique ruins. 

April 26?. — This being the Sabbath, we attend the 
Presbyterian church, located outside the city walls. The 
chapel is a neat little edifice, and will seat about three 
hundred people. Mr. and Mrs. Eunnels, our traveling- 
companions, who joined us upon the circuit at San Fran- 
cisco, left this morning en route for Switzerland. 

April Zd. — ^This morning we left Rome by the quar- 
ter-past ten o'clock train for Pisa, distance about two 
hundred and twenty -five miles, fare forty lire each. 
The country in the vicinity of Rome is hilly, and not as 
fertile as in some other parts of Italy. At half-past 
eleven we stopped for a few minutes at Palo, facing on 
the Mediterranean Sea, where the country is more levek 
After leaving this town, we rode along the border of 
the sea nearly all the afternoon. At intervals we saw 
ships lying off at anchor, either taking in cargoes or dis- 
charging them upon lighters. The country-houses are 
all constructed of stone. The lower stories, or ground-^ 



ITALY: NAVLE^, ROME, ETC. 35I 

floors^ of the farm-dwellings are occupied by cattle, and 
the people live above. We arrived at Pisa at 7.15 p. m., 
and put up at the Hotel de Londres, board ten and a half 
lire per day. Here we rejoined our traveling-companions, 
who left us at Kome. The princij)al objects of interest in 
Pisa are the Leaning Tower and the old cathedral. We 
devoted the day principally to an examination of the 
statuary, of marble and alabaster, which are the special- 
ties of the place. I purchased two handsome pieces of 
statuary, and made a shipment of them to New York. 

April 5th, — We left Pisa this morning by the half- 
past eleven o'clock train for Genoa, distance a hundred 
and three miles, fare twenty lire. At one o'clock, we 
approach the marble-quarries in the mountains ; the range 
stretches close to the Mediterranean. Before getting 
clear of the mountains we passed through ninety-tv>^o 
tunnels; about half the distance accomplished during 
the afternoon was made below the surface of the earth. 
We arrived in Genoa at 6.80 p. m., and took board at 
the Hotel de la Ville, ten lire per day. 

April 6tJi. — The city of Genoa, called the Superb, is 
handsomely situated on the Mediterranean, nearly sur- 
rounded in the rear by a succession of high hills, one 
gradually rising above another. The city is one of the 
principal seaports of Italy; it possesses an excellent har- 
bor for shipping, and has a population of one hundred 
and forty thousand. 

Genoa is a city of great antiquity, and has undergone 
many vicissitudes. The government was for a long time 
in a state of revolution, and contests were constantly 



352 



AROUND THE WORLD. 



arising between tlie nobility and citizens. It was not 
till 1756 that it became tranquil. In 1797 tlie city was 
taken by the French. The walls of the city have fre- 
quently been enlarged ; the older portion of the town is 
laid out ia narrow and crooked streets, but in the new 
part they are wide and handsome. The climate is fine, 




and the atmosphere pure and clear. Beggars are few 
in number, which makes it more agreeable for tourists 
and residents than most Italian cities. 

Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa in 1442. A 
fine monument to his memory has been erected in the pub- 
lic square. Columbus was a man of penetrating genius, 



ITALY: NAPLES, ROME, ETC, 353 

and constantly ambitious of accomplishing something that 
would perpetuate his fame. He first applied to the city 
of Genoa for assistance in attempting discoveries in the 
Western seas, but it was refused, and he was regarded 
as a visionary. The same ill success attended him in his 
application to the courts of Portugal and England. He 
then went to Spain, where he received encouragement 
from Ferdinand and Isabella, who fitted him out with 
three small ships, and a sufficient supply of money. He 
soon discovered the island of Cuba, of which he took 
possession. On his return to Spain, Ferdinand and Isa- 
bella were much pleased with his great success. They 
then furnished him with a larger number of ships, and 
on his second voyage he discovered the group of Carib- 
bean Islands and Jamaica. In his third voyage he dis- 
covered that part of the continent of South America 
where Carthagena was afterward built. 

The cathedral of San Lorenzo is the centre of attrac- 
tion in Genoa. This old cathedral was built in the 
eleventh century, in Gothic style, with a singular exte- 
rior, being formed of white and black stripes of marble. 
Some of the inscriptions in the church give the history 
of the foundation of the city. A beautiful statue of the 
"' Madonna and Child," made of bronze, is erected in the 
€hurch. The finest |)ortion of the church is the chapel 
of John the Baptist. The canopy over the altar covers 
the sarcophagus in which are deposited the supposed 
relics of the Baptist, which are contained in an iron- 
bound chest. Here is also shown the dish out of which, 
it is said, Christ ate the Last Supper. Tradition says 



354 AROUND THE WORLD. 

that it was originally presented by King Solomon to the 
Queen of Sheba, and afterward preserved in the Temple. 
At the time when the combined forces of Genoa and Pisa 
captured Csesarea, the Genoese took the emerald dish for 
their share of the booty, and it was brought to Genoa^ 
where it was held in such veneration that twelve nobles 
were appointed to guard it. It was only exhibited once 
a year, and then the priests held it by a chain while be- 
ing viewed by the crowd. So valuable was it then con- 
sidered, that the Jews took it as security for a loan of 
four million francs, which they advanced to the Genoese 
for a period of forty years. 

April ^th, — We take our departure this morning by 
the eight o'clock train for Turin, distance a hundred and 
four miles, fare forty lire. Shortly after leaving we pass 
through eleven tunnels. The country is mountainous and 
picturesque. For some distance we ride along the banks 
of a dry river-bed. Most of the mountains in Italy that 
are susceptible of cultivation are terraced, and covered 
with olive-trees and grape-vines. We arrive in Turin at 
12.30 p. M., and put up at the Hotel Trombetta, board ten 
lire a day. 

The city of Turin is beautifully situated on a flat 
plain between two rivers — the Dora Susina and the Po. 
It is of an oval shape, measuring four miles around its 
walls, and contains a population of two hundred and 
twenty-flve thousand. It has been repeatedly destroyed. 
The last severe injuries sustained were in the fifteenth 
century, at which time the suburbs were demolished, and 
also its public works. It was made a military station by 



ITALY: NAPLES, ROME, ETC. 355 

Julius Caesar, on his invasion of Gaul. In the year 312 
a great victory was gained by Constantine in its imme- 
diate vicinity. The Duke of Savoy took possession of it 
in the tenth century. In the year 1536 the French got 
possession and retained it for tw^enty-six years, nnd after- 
ward lost it, but retook it in 1640. It was the old capi- 
tal of the duchy of Savoy and of the kingdom of Sardinia^ 
and on the union of all Italy under Victor Emmanuel it 
became for a time the capital of the new kingdom, wliicli 
honor was subsequently conferred upon Florence, and 
finally upon Rome. 

Turin is well built, the structures are uniform in ap- 
pearance, and there is not a mean-looking house in the 
city; even the residences of the poorer classes are almost 
palaces. The buildings are of brick, coated over with 
white cement in imitation of stone. A profusion of run- 
ning water keeps the fine white pavement clean. All 
through and around the city are fine, large shade-trees. 
From here the view is magnificent — the Alps on one 
side, and the Apennines in the distance on the other. 
The climate is more changeable, and much colder, than 
in the south of Italy. 

We visit and are shown through one of the principal 
palaces ; this one is elegantly furnished, with frescoed 
walls, ornamented with rich tapestry, and fine paintings 
and sculpture, executed by the best artists. The palaces 
in Italy are constructed in the most substantial manner^ 
and with, proper care look as if they might last till the 
end of time ; the marble of whick they are built does 
not crumble, or change color, as it does in America. 



356 'i AROUND THE WORLD. 

A^ril %tli. — We leave Turin this morning by the 
half-past nine o'clock train for Geneva, distance some 
two hundred miles, fare thirty-nine lire each. About an 
hour after leaving, we come to and enter a deep ravine 
in the Alps, through which we ride the greater part of 
the day. The scenery was broken, and most interesting. 
At two o'clock we apjDroach the Mont Cenis Tunnel, 
which took thirty minutes to pass through, from Italy 
into France. We stop at Modane, on the French fron- 
tier, where our baggage undergoes the usual examina- 
tion by the officers of customs, and make a change of 
cars. At 7 p. m. we make another change at Culoz. We 
arrive in Geneva, Switzerland, at 11 p.m., and are con- 
veyed to the Grand Hotel du Lac, board ten francs a 
day. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



SWITZERLAND. 



April 9th. — Geneva is splendidly situated at the 
sontliwesterly extremity of the beautiful lake of the same 
name, and contains a population of sixty-five thousand. 
The city is well built, the dwellings being lofty and con- 
structed of white stone. The streets are winding, but of 
good width, and well paved with small blocks of stone. 

April lOtJi. — The people of Switzerland have no dis- 
tinct language of their own, but speak German, Italian, 
and French. Neither have they any particular standard 
of currency, but receive all kinds of money at par. 

ApiHl lltJi. — Geneva is especially noted for its clocks, 
watches, fine jewelry, and musical instruments. Among 
other things, I purchased a musical-box, of which I made 
a shipment to New York. 

April l'2th. — This being Good-Friday, the shops and 
stores are closed. The people in the forenoon mostly at- 
tend church, but the afternoon is devoted to both riding 
out, and sailing on the lake. 

April ISth. — Geneva is more of a summer than a 
winter resort, for the reason that it is surrounded by a 
lofty chain of mountains, the highest of which are cov- 
ered with snow the greater part of the year. Of course, 
the atmosphere is chilly during the winter. Mont Blanc 



358 AROUND TEE WORLD. 

is the highest of the Alps, and from here is plain to our 
view. To ascend its loftiest peak requires two days of 
great fatigue in climbing. The ascent is never made 
without the assistance of some two or three guides, each 
of whom charges one hundred francs for his services, 
which would seem like a large price ; and yet it is little 
enough for these poor fellows, who peril their lives to 
gratify a most unworthy curiosity. 

^jpril Uth. — There is nothing very striking in Ge- 
neva, excepting the charming scenery and the beautiful 
w^orks of Nature by which it is environed. On riding 
out, we stopped at the old Protestant cathedral. The 
church is of stone, and in a good state of preservation. 
The pulpit is the same as when Oalvin and other re- 
formers preached from it. 

April 15th. — We devote the day chiefly to shopping, 
and walking about the town. 

April 16th. — The rich and magnificent scenery of the 
Lake of Geneva, and of the Alps, with their white varie- 
gated tops looming up into the clouds, cannot be ade- 
quately described. Some parts facing on the lake, more 
exposed to the sun, are covered for a long distance up 
the sides of the mountains with fine cultivated vine- 
yards, which are most beautiful to look upon, while the 
margin of the lake is teeming with small towns and vil- 
lages, some of them of great antiquity. 

April 11th. — There are several steamboats engaged 
on the lake, carrying passengers both up and down, and 
a large number of yachts are constantly seen sailing over 
its placid waters. 



SWITZERLAND. 359 

April ISth. — This being our last day in Geneva, we 
devote it to rambling about, and sight-seeing. 

April Idth. — This morning we take our departure en 
route for Paris, by the half-past ten o'clock train, distance 
three hundred and eighty-eight miles, fare seventy-seven 
francs apiece. The surroundings of Geneva are very 
beautiful. We ride along the border of the river Rhone, 
which is the outlet of the lake, until we get nearly out 
of the Alps. At length we pass through a long tunnel, 
and enter France. 



CHAPTEK XXXIV. 

feance: mAcon, dijon^, paeis, havee. 

Oj^ our arrival in France, at the first station, our 
"baggage undergoes another examination by the customs 
officials. Soon after starting, we strike off upon the 
plains, leaving the majestic Alps behind us. A 5 p. m. 
we break our tour by stopping at Macon, where we re- 
main overnight, putting up in the Hotel de I'Europe. 
Macon is a small town, containing about twenty -five 
thousand inhabitants ; it is situated on the river Saone,, 
tributary to the Rhone. 

April '20th. — We resume our journey this morning 
by the eleven o'clock train, en route for Paris. The coun- 
try through which we ride is rough, and not very invit- 
ing ; the grape is the principal crop. We stop at Dijon 
for dinner. Dijon is the capital of the old province of 
Burgundy, and is now a great railroad centre ; but, aside 
from that, presents nothing very attractive. We reached 
Paris at 10.30 p. m., procured a cab, and were driven to 
the Grand Hotel de I'Athenee, which was full, hence we 
took up quarters in the Hotel de St.-Petersbourg, board 
ten francs each per day. The legal current coin of the 
country is the franc, equivalent to nineteen and one-fifth 
cents of American coin. 



FRANCE: MACON, DIJON, PARTS. 351 

Ajpril 2l6V'. — Paris is situated on tlie river Seine, 
which divides the city into two parts, but the municipal 
government is in one. The Seine at Paris is about two 
hundred yards in width, and is crossed by several fine 
bridges of stone. The river-water is clear, and has its 
outlet at Havre. The French capital contains nearly 
two million inhabitants, and is doubtless the most elab- 
orately-built city in the world. The houses are con- 
structed in a uniform style; some are built of white 
stone, easily cut, and others of a white, chalky clay com- 
pressed into blocks. When used these blocks become 
hardened by the effect of the atmosphere, and resemble 
stone. As they are laid in the building, they form the 
inner as well as the outer walls. Some of the dwellings 
are from six to seven stories high. There is no wood 
used in their construction, excepting for doors and cas- 
ings; the floor-beams are of iron, and overlaid with tiles 
of stone, and the roofs covered with slate. 

April '2^d. — The streets of Paris are of good width ; 
some of the principal boulevards are much wider than 
those of New York, and adorned with fine shade-trees of 
uniform size. All of the boulevards, as well as the coun- 
try roads, are macadamized Avith limestone, and are as 
smooth as a floor ; there are men constantly working 
upon them, and when they become uneven or broken 
they are immediately put in repair. Some of the streets 
are coated with a composition of coal-ashes and tar, which 
becomes as hard as stone and as smooth as glass. 

Aj^ril^^d. — There are several hundred hotels in Paris. 
The people generally live in flats (each story forming a 

24 



362 ABOUND THE WORLD. 

distinct habitation), and do little if any cooking in their 
dwellings, but commonly eat two meals a day in the 
hotels or restaurants. When the weather is warm and 
pleasant, the people spend their evenings chiefly upon 
the streets, having their tables and seats out upon the 
sidewalks spread with wines and other luxuries. 

Api'il 24ith. — ^This being the Sabbath, we attended 
the Mission Chapel ; the first sermon was in French, and 
the second in English. 

April 25tJi. — The Parisians have long considered them- 
selves at the head of civilization, both in matters of dress 
and fashion ; they rank so by unanimous consent. They 
seem more noted for outside show than for stability and 
decision of character. Vice and iniquity abound in every 
circle, from the highest to the lowest. They have little 
regard for the Christian Sabbath, for it is kept as a day 
of recreation, visiting theatres, ballrooms, etc. ; and horse- 
racing, gambling, and many other vices, are common on 
the Sabbath. 

April 26th. — ^To-day we shift our quarters from tlie 
Hotel de St.-Petersbourg to the London and New York 
Hotel, which is beautifully situated in a fashionable part 
of the city — on Havre de Place — where thousands upon 
thousands of people are seen promenading in the public 
square daily. 

April 27th. — To-day we devote to examining some 
of the principal edifices. The Place de la Concorde is 
one of the handsomest in Paris, if not in Europe ; we 
have on our right La Madeleine, and De la Paix to the 
left ; in the rear a portion of the city looms up overlook- 



FRANCE: MACON, DIJON, PARIS, 3^3 

ing the Seine. We next enter the Place du Carrousel, 
whicli is situated between the two wins^s of the new 
Louvre, facing at right angles, witli a fine park in front, 
adorned with, large ornamental shade-trees of uniform 
size, and fountains and fish-ponds. 

ApiHl 2Sth, — We visit the Colonne Vendome. This 
column was erected by ISTajDoleon in 1810, to commemc- 
Tate tlie victories of the grand army in the German cam- 
paign. The bronze metal which covers this monument 
weighs one hundred and sixty tons, and was cast from 
the twelve hundred pieces of cannon taken from the bat- 
tle-fields in that campaign. It was pulled down by the 
Communists after the Franco-German War of 1870-71, 
and has recently been reerected u]3on the same sjDot. 

A^yril ^^tli. — The Palais Royal covers more ground 
than any other building in Paris excepting the Tuileries. 
It was erected for a palace, and used as such for several 
centuries, but is now turned into stores filled with all 
kinds of fancy-goods. The court within is very large, 
and entered by two gateways. The second floor, called 
the Glass Gallery, is seven hundred feet long by three 
hundred and twenty-eight wide, filled with all kinds of 
fancy articles, and thronged, I may say, with thousands 
of people. This is the principal place of resort for 
strangers visiting Paris. 

April SOth. — To-day we attend the Congregational 
church ; first sermon in French, second in English. 

May 1st. — We meet with Dr. George Chandler, of 
Boston, with whom I traveled, in 1868, through Syria, 
Palestine, and Asia Minor. We also meet with Mr. and 



364 AROUND THE WOELD.^ 

Mrs. Coryell, of Sliangliai, China, upon whom we called 
when in that city. 

Hay 2d — To-day we ride ont to Bon Marche, or the 
cheap store of Paris, where most of the American and 
English ladies shop for silks and fancy-goods. 

May 3d. — We visited the gallery of paintings at the 
Crystal Palace. This gallery is well worth a visit from 
those who have a taste for fine paintings and statuary ; 
the place was perfectly crowded, and it will be safe to 
say that there were at least five thousand people present. 

2Iay 4:tJi. — We visit the panoramic view of the siege 
of Paris, one of the largest and grandest ever witnessed. 
This view alone would compensate a traveler from Amer- 
ica, even if he should see nothing else. The building in 
which the painting is shown is circular. The painting 
extends round the entire circle. Looking at the scene, 
not a particle of canvas is visible ; the view is perfectly 
transparent. Instead of looking upon canvas, as in other 
paintings, I imagined that I was viewing it in the dis- 
tance, through the atmosphere. Here we have spread 
before us both city and country, as far as the eye can 
extend. In the distance we have before us the German 
batteries, completely surrounding Paris, with the French 
hemmed within the city walls. During the siege of one 
hundred and thirty-two days, before an armistice could 
be agreed upon, the Parisians suffered greatly from hun- 
ger. In the vast picture we have all Paris before us, 
with its domes and steeples, and surrounding country in 
the distance, with the air filled with shells and other 
dangerous missiles of war, and numerous conflagrations 



FRAFCE: MACON, DIJON, PARIS. 355 

are seen all over the city. Thousands of workmen are 
represented as having been engaged, some removing the 
dead and wovmded ; others throwing up earthworks, and 
carrying bags of sand ; while others were working upon 
the ramparts and at the guns. 

May bill, — Paris was conceded to have been one of 
the strongest fortified cities in the world, surrounded by 
a heavy stone-wall, extending thirty miles in circumfer- 
ence, surmounted with cannon of the largest calibre. 
Notwithstanding its prodigious strength, the Germans 
marched some fiYQ hundred miles over bad and broken 
roads with their heavy battering- trains, besieged and 
took this large and strongly-fortified capital in the short 
period of one hundred and thirty-two days. This signal 
success of the Germans was seemingly supernatural, as 
if the Lord were fighting their battles, as he did those 
of the Israelites against the Egyptians. 

May %tJi. — We devote the forenoon to a visit to the 
museum in the Louvre, where we examine a large col- 
lection of old paintings, executed by the best artists. 

May Itli. — To-day we attended divine service in the 
Congregational church, which was well filled, the con- 
gregation being composed chiefiy of Americans. 

May Sth. — We hire a carriage and ride out to the 
Bois de Boulogne, over the Champs Elysees, which is the 
widest and finest avenue in Europe, if not in the world. 
The park contains large forest-trees, and some fine L kes 
of water, and the roads are excellent. But, in points of 
real variety and beauty, it does not compare with the 
Central Park in New York. I think that the Champs 



366 AROUND THE WORLD, 

Elysees, in the beautiful style in which it is laid out, and 
adorned with flowers and shade-trees, presents a much 
finer appearance than the park. 

May 9th, — Paris, at the present day, is the acknowl- 
edged capital of the arts and sciences; it is also, without 
exception, the handsomest city in the world, and the one 
most resorted to by strangers from all quarters of the 
globe. The boulevards, which form the arteries of this 
famous capital, offer the most agreeable and |)icturesque 
promenades, shaded as they are by ornamental trees.. 
The city received great damage at the hands of her own 
people during the late war, but there are scarcely any 
visible ruins remaining, excepting those of the palace of 
the Tuileries, which is now undergoing repairs. 

May 10th. — We visit the Council of Arbitration. 
This is one of the best-regulated courts in Paris. It was 
founded for the purpose of settling disputes between 
masters and workmen in an amicable manner, and it is 
said that nineteen cases out of every twenty brought be- 
fore it are satisfactorily adjusted. The council is com- 
posed of master-mechanics, elected by the different trades, 
and these trades are divided into four classes, each class 
having a council, so that the most, intricate dispute is 
decided in a short space of time by the custom of the 
trade. How desirable it would be to have such a court 
of justice in the city of New York, where many of our 
judges have to decide matters of which, in many cases, 
they must be entirely ignorant ! 

May 11th, — To-day we devote principally to shop- 
ping. Among other things we purchased a fine megale- 



FRANCE: MACON, DIJON, PARIS. 3^7 

toscopio. There are so many fancy articles in Paris that 
one can spend as much money as he wishes, and get 
nothing very substantial in return. 

May 12th. — To-day I visit the fortifications of Paris. 
These works have been considered as among the best 
and strongest in the world. At a distance of about a 
mile outside the former walls runs an additional wall, 
about forty-seven feet high, bastioned and terraced, in- 
cluding seventeen outworks or forts, calculated for the 
mounting of twenty-seven hundred and sixty guns. In 
1841, twenty million dollars were expended to complete 
and strengthen the fortifications. In some places they 
were much battered by the German army during the 
late war. 

May IStJi. — We \T.sit the Tuileries. This palace is 
an immense building of white stone, and measures around 
its walls nearly a mile in extent, having a large court 
within. During the late war, it sustained much damage 
by fire. 

May IMli, — We ride out to see the Obelisk of Luxor, 
presented by Mehemet Ali, of Egypt, to the French Gov- 
ernment. It weighs two hundred and fifty tons ; it is 
seventy-two feet high, seven feet six inches wide at the 
base, sloping up to ^yq feet four inches at its top, and is 
one piece of stone. It took three years to bring this 
stone from Thebes, in Egypt, a distance of twenty-five 
hundred miles, at a cost of some four hundred thousand 
dollars. 

May loth. — To-day we leave Paris by the one o'clock 
train, e7i route for London, by the way of Havre and 



368 ARPUND THE WORLD. 

Soutliampton ; distance tliree hundred and forty -tv^o 
miles, fare forty francs apiece« The country through 
which we pass is fertile, and the farm-houses are very 
well built. It has been my experience, in all countries 
through which I have traveled, to find that where the 
farm-houses look neat, and are painted or whitewashed, 
there the soil is universally good; but, where the dwell- 
ings have a poor, dilapidated appearance, we have strong 
evidence of inferior soil. We ride a great part of the 
way through the beautiful valley bordering on the Seine, 
and reach Havre at 5 p. m. 

Havre is one of the principal seaports of France, and 
contains upward of one hundred thousand inhabitants. 
The city is situated at the outlet of the Seine, and pos- 
sesses two very tine harbors, one natural, the other arti- 
ficial. At 8.30 P.M. we leave Havre by steamship, and 
cross the Channel to Southara]3ton. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

ENGLAI^D : LOl^DOlSr, LIVERPOOL. 

May 16th. — We arrive in Soutliampton this morning 
at six o'clock, Laving been nine and a lialf hours crossing 
the Channel. Southampton is an excellent harbor for 
shipping, but it does not compare in magnitude with 
Liverpool. The city contains only about forty-five thou- 
sand inhabitants. Here, again, we have our trunks ex- 
amined by the custom-house officials. 

The legal currency of England is pounds, shillings, 
pence, and farthings; one English pound is equivalent 
to four dollars and eighty cents of American coin ; one 
shilling, twenty-four cents ; one penny, two cents ; one 
farthing, one-half cent. 

We resume our journey this morning by the 7 a. m. 
train, en route for London. The country, so far as we 
can see along the road, presents good farming-lands, un- 
der an excellent state of cultivation. We arrive in Lon- 
don at 10.30 A. M. 

The city of London, the metropolis of the United 
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the most 
wealthy city in the world, contains a population of about 
three million four hundred thousand souls. It is situ- 
ated on the river Thames, some ninety miles from the 
sea. It is built on both sides of the river, which is here. 



370 AROUND THE WORLD. 

about twelve hundred feet wide, and is crossed by sev- 
eral stone and iron bridges. London was formerly the 
largest seaport in the world, but, in consequence of its 
being so far inland, and the river-current running sa 
rapidly, it became somewhat hazardous for such an in- 
crease of shipping, so that her commerce has been of late 
years reduced and added to that of Liverpool and South- 
ampton, which ports have easier access to the ocean. 

London is of great antiquity. When it was in pos- 
session of the Romans it was inclosed by a heavy stone- 
wall, but there is nothing now visible of this ancient 
barrier. For several hundred years London had suffered 
much from fire and pestilence, but it is now considered 
to be one of the healthiest and best-governed cities in 
the world. The metropolis, with its suburbs, covers one 
hundred and twenty square miles. It is distinguished 
for its active air of business, which pervades it in every 
direction. The dwellings are plain and substantial, and 
the public buildings are built more for use than orna- 
ment. 

May l^th. — To-day we go out to see some of the ob- 
jects of interest ; but there is so much to see amid the 
great throng of people, that we scarcely know where to 
go first. We finally make our way to the House of Par- 
liament, which is comparatively a new building, having 
a frontage on the Thames of nine hundred feet. It is of 
white marble, decorated with rich statues and coats of 
arms, and in size is more than fvYQ times as large as the 
new City Hall in New York, but has not cost as much 
money. The House of Parliament is divided into two 



ENGLAND: LONDON, LIVERPOOL. 37^ 

parts ; at the one end is the Chamber of Lords, and at 
the other the Chamber of Commons. The Houses are 
now in session. The members are dressed in black-silk 
gowns, nearly reaching to the floor, with white wigs upon 
their heads ; to a stranger, unaccustomed to seeing such 
a style of costume, they would seem more like a body of 
old women than leo^islators. 

May I'^th. — Buckingham Palace is a fine building,, 
and is the residence of the queen and royal family when 
they are in the city. The principal object of interest is 
the throne-room, elegantly decorated with rich strijDed 
crimson satin, with gold trimmings. On passing through 
we come to the queen's drawing-room, neatly furnished,, 
and the walls adorned with choice paintings. We were 
conducted all through the palace (excepting the queenV 
private apartments) — the library, green drawing-room^ 
gilt-room, and the sculpture-gallery — in all of which are 
choice pictures. Here is one painting for which Geoi'ge 
IV. paid -^yie thousand guineas. 

May 19th. — In addition to other places of interest, we 
visit St. Paul's Cathedral, the largest Protestant church 
in the world ; in size it is next to St. Peter's in Eome. 
Its length is five hundred feet, by three hundred and 
eleven feet in breadth, and the height from the pave- 
ment to the top of the cross is four hundred feet. The 
large bell of this cathedral is only tolled on the occasion, 
of a death in the royal farnily. 

The English are a church-going people. It is said 
that there are over nine hundred churches in London. 
Many of them are remarkable for their antiquity, others. 



■372 AROUND THE WORLD. 

for their arcliitectural beauty and elaborate finish. Bow 
Churcli is a handsome edifice, located in a very conspicu- 
ous position, on the south side of Cheapside. In this 
church the consecrations of the Bishops of London take 
place. St. George's Church is said to be remarkable for 
the numerous weddings which take place there. 

May 20th. — To-day we visit the Bank of England, the 
most extensive banking institution in the world. It has 
in its employ more than one thousand clerks, with sala- 
ries ranging from one hundred and fifty to six thousand 
dollars per year. The building itself is not very attrac- 
tive. The most interesting apartments are the bullion- 
offices, the weighing-office, the treasury, and the apart- 
ments where the bank-notes are printed. 

The General Post-Office is another huge structure, 
built of marble in the Ionic style. This establishment 
employs over twenty thousand clerks. 

May 21st. — This day being the Sabbath, we attend 
Rev. Dr. Spurgeon's church in the forenoon. This famous 
Baptist divine is about fbrty years of age, of medium 
height, and rather fleshy, with nothing very striking in 
his appearance, but easy and pleasing in his address, and 
possessing a loud and clear voice, which could be dis- 
tinctly heard in every part of the house. His style of 
preaching is plain and simple, but logical, so that the 
most unlearned could understand every sentence; his 
words were expressed with great force and j^ower, which 
seemed to thrill every heart. (Text, Hebrews vi. 19: 
^' Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure 
and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the 



ENGLAND: LONDON, LIVERPOOL. 373 

.. veil.") The most profound silence prevailed in the au- 
dience. The interior of the church is oval, with two 
unbroken tiers of galleries, supported by iron columns, 
and will seat six thousand people. On this occasion the 
building was crowded to its fullest capacity ; many were 
obliged to stand, and hundreds, if not thousands, could 
not gain admission. The j)reacher's argument was so 
clear, forcible, and childlike, that he reminded me of the 
apostles and the prophets. The congregation began to 
assemble at least an hour before the service commenced. 
Before entering the church, every stranger was presented 
with a small envelope, on which was inscribed this re- 
quest : " Inclose your contribution within this card for 
the benefit and spread of the gospel of Christ." 

May 22d. — ^This afternoon w^e go to see Madame Tus- 
saud's exhibition of wax-figures. It is decidedly the finest 
collection of the kind in the world. The figures are of 
life-size, and so perfect in construction that on entering 
the room I imagined them to be living personages. They 
were all dressed in the style of the age in which they 
lived, to suit the characters which they were intended 
to represent. Among them we saw George Washington, 
Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and General Grant. 
We also saw the royal family of England ; John Wesley, 
tlie founder of Methodism ; John Knox and John Calvin, 
the great Reformers ; and many others of note, all dressed 
in the style of costume of their own time. 

May 236?. — To-day we ride out to see the Eoyal Zo- 
ological Gardens, in Eegent's Park. This is one of the 
famous institutions of London. The fee for admittance 



374 AROUND THE WORLD. 

is one Englisli shilling. There are some refreshing little 
lakes, bordered by ornamental trees and shrubs; and 
neat little thatched cottages, almost enveloped in the 
running woodbine. Here, too, the birds are filling the 
perfumed air with their heavenly music. Following the 
b)eautiful serpentine walks, we spy out the abodes of the 
bears, monkeys, and numerous other animals, gathered 
from every part of the globe, and forming one of the 
:finest collections in England. 

May ^\ih. — When I was in London on a previous 
o casion, I rode out to Windsor, which is reached by 
rail in about an hour. We went most of the distance 
along the border of the Thames, lined with small towns 
and villages. Windsor is situated on the Thames, and 
contains a population of about twelve thousand souls. 
The palace and castle cover a superficial area of ten acres. 
Windsor Park is beautifully laid out with roads and 
shade-trees, and contains seventeen hundred acres. We 
ascended the old castle-walls, whence we had the whole 
country spread out before us, with the picturesque 
Thames winding through the beautiful plains till lost in 
the distance ; and as we looked through the old spy-glass 
toward London, the entire country appeared dotted with 
small towns and hamlets. We now enter and are shown 
through the old chapel, which is of great interest. Here 
we see the tombs erected to the memory of departed 
members of the royal family. The castle lies off from 
the town of Windsor, upon an elevation, ascended by 
steps, and completely overlooking the town itself. It is 
in this castle that the marriages of the royal family take 



ENGLAND: LONDON, LIVERPOOL. 375 

place, and on tlieir death they are buried in the vault of 
this chapel. It is also in this chapel that the installa- 
tion of the knights takes place. The interior of the cas- 
tle is rich in decorations and works of art, embracing 
pictures, statuary, and bronzes. The principal gallery 
in which these works are shown is over five hundred feet 
in length. In the centre of the castle is situated the 
round tow^er in which James I. of Scotland was confined. 
A short distance from here is the residence of the late 
Duchess of Kent, the queen's mother, in which she re- 
sided during her lifetime. 

May ^^th. — St. James's Palace is more ancient in its 
general aspect than some others, but not so inviting. It 
was the residence of the sovereigns of England previous 
to Victoria's occupying Buckingham Palace ; the queen, 
however, still holds drawing-rooms here. In this palace 
Charles I. took final leave of his children. 

Lambeth Palace is situated on the bank of the Thames, 
and is the town residence of the Archbishop of Canter- 
bury. It is an old edifice, and dates back to the middle 
of the thirteenth century. Its library contains a collec- 
tion of some of the oldest manuscripts in Europe. 

The Tower of London is said by tradition to have 
been built by Julius Caesar. The fortress is, at all events, 
of great antiquity ; it covers an area of ten acres, and its 
walls are at least fourteen feet thick. We were shown 
through the Barracks, Armory, Jewel -House, White 
Tower, St. Peter's Tower, and the Bloody Tower, in 
which Richard III. had his nephews murdered ; the Brick 
Tower, in which Lady Jane Grey was im23risoned ; also 



376 AROUND THE WORLD. 

tte prison in wliicli Anne Boleyn was incarcerated, and 
-other rooms too numerous to mention. This fortress was 
used as a residence for the monarchs of England down 
to the time of Queen Elizabeth, and also as a prison for 
state criminals. It is said that many of the kings, queens, 
warriors, and statesmen, after having been incarcerated, 
were put to death within these dark and gloomy walls. 
Here we were shown the old execution-knife and bloody 
block once in use for chopping off the heads of royal and 
other criminals, and the gutter formed in the stone floor 
to carry off the victims' blood. We were also taken 
through the jewel-room, containing many of the jewels 
of royalty ; they were inclosed in a large glass case, se- 
cured by heavy iron bars, among which we saw the 
crown made for Queen Victoria's coronation, at a cost 
of six hundred thousand dollars, and the large ring worn 
by the Black Prince, as well as the crown of the Prince 
of Wales, and also many other crowns said to have been 
worn by the various monarchs ; here, too, are exhibited the 
gold and ivory sceptre, and the coronation spoon, which 
are estimated to be worth fifteen million dollars. 

Westminster Abbey is of much interest. Its style 
of architecture is Gothic. Here both kings and queens 
have been crowned from the time of Edward the Con- 
fessor down to Queen Victoria ; underneath its floor 
many of them have been buried. Here we see the monu- 
ment erected to the memory of Mary Queen of Scots — 
Queen Elizabeth and Mary lie in the same tomb ; here 
also are handsome monuments to the memory of Shake- 
speare, and scores of other great men. 



ENGLAND: LONDON, LIVERPOOL. ;>77 

From here we go to Hyde Park, which is the most 
fashionable park in London. All ranks and classes, from 
the peasant to the sovereign, may be found here on a 
pleasant afternoon. This park covers an area of four 
hundred acres ; the grounds are mostly level, and the 
paths are not very winding. There is a beautiful lake 
connected with the park, which winds round in many 
forms, and the shade-trees are very large. 

We make an excursion some few miles down the 
Thames to Greenwich. We pass by the ship-yard in 
which the steamship Great Eastern was built; also the 
East India Company's docks, in which the principal ship- 
ping of London lies. These docks, or quays, extend over 
a mile along the river- front, and as far back. They con- 
sist of large basins, excavated for the purpose of taking 
in ships ; at short intervals, fronting on the river, there 
are locks, through which the ships enter into the basins 
at high tide, and which are kept closed at low water. 
In consequence of the great rise and fall of the tide, it is 
impracticable to have the shipj)ing exposed at the river- 
front. We passed by a ship which had grounded in the 
river at high water; she lay high and dry at low tide, so 
that her keel was visible. The great rise and fall of the 
tide in the Thames are detrimental to the shipping in- 
terests of Loudon, and much of her commerce, as pre- 
viously remarked, has been diverted in consequence to 
Liverpool and Southampton, where vessels have easier 
access to the sea. 

The principal edifices in London are not so elaborate 
in style and finish as are those of Paris, and there is also 

25 



378 AROUND THE WORLD. 

a marked difference in tlie population of the two capi- 
tals. While the people of Paris are all for fashion and 
outward show^, those of London have more regard for 
domestic comforts. 

May ^%tli. — This morning we leave London by the 
ten o'clock train, over the Northwestern Kailway, for 
Liverpool; distance two hundred and seventy miles, fare 
twenty-nine shillings. Just outside of London, the coun- 
try is lined with beautiful gardens teeming with luxu- 
riant vegetation, and the wide avenues are filled with 
heavy teams loaded with produce going into the city. 
The face of the country is somewhat rolling, but fertile. 
The farms are large, but the dwellings rather small; the 
barns and out-houses are of good size, all of brick, built 
in the most substantial manner. 

It is a most singular fact that when two strange Eng- 
lishmen meet in a railway-carriage they will not converse 
toscether, without a formal introduction. We were ac- 
companied by two well-dressed, respectable-looking Eng- 
lishmen, strangers to each other ; one seemed more genial 
than the other, and asked his countryman some simple 
question, to which he made no reply, but the latter was 
very willing to talk with us Americans, whereupon they 
both joined in conversation with us, as if we had been 
old acquaintances, but would not exchange a word be- 
tween themselves, though we were most cordially treated 
by both. 

At 3 p. M. we arrived in Liverpool and put up at the 
Washington Hotel; board will average in this hotel 
about fifteen shillings per day. 



ENGLAND: LONDON, LIVERPOOL. 379 

May 2^tK — Liverpool is situated on the river Mer- 
sey, about two miles from the sea, and has a population 
of more than seven hundred thousand souls. It is the 
largest seaport in the world, except New York. Her 
docks and quays have no equal ; they are built of large 
blocks of cut granite, fastened together with heavy iron 
bolts. When a ship arrives in port she is locked in the 
dock, and there remains till discharged of her cargo. 

May 2Sth. — This being the Sabbath, we attend the 
Wesley an Methodist church. 

May 29th. — Liverpool, in activity, is similar to Lon- 
don, New York, and other large commercial ports, full 
of bustle and noise, and has gotten to be rather a pretty 
city. Some fine hotels have been recently erected, but 
the great majority of American tourists hitherto, from the 
Continent, have only stopped here long enough to make 
ready to take ship for home. 

May 30th. — To-day I ride out to the ship-yards, to 
examine the building of iron vessels. They have ma- 
chinery so perfect for shaping iron for the construction 
of ships that an iron vessel can be put together more 
cheaply, and in less time, than it requires to build a 
wooden one. They cut up and j^lane iron with as much 
apparent ease as the ship-builders in America work wood. 
A steamship in England can be built of iron, with en- 
gines, masts, sails, rigging, all complete, for one hundred 
dollars per ton, and a sailing-ship for from sixty to sev- 
enty dollars per ton. Something of this facility, if not 
cheapness, in building iron steamships is being shown in 
this country by Mr. John Roach at Chester, Pennsylvania. 



380 AROUND THE WORLD. 

May ^Ist. — To-day I devote chiefly to examining tlie 
dry-docks in Liverpool, v^hicli are the best and largest 
in the world. They are constructed of large blocks of 
granite, and bolted together in the most substantial man- 
ner. The largest which came under my observation was 
eight hundred feet long, having in dock three large ships 
lying in a line, one ahead of the other. The ships are 
floated in at high tide, and then the gates are closed ; at 
the following low tide the water is let out by a sluice- 
door at one end of the dock; when the water is out — 
which has a fall of from sixteen to eighteen feet — then 
the gate is closed, leaving the ship dry without any 
pumping, although they have pumps constructed in case 
of accident to the gates. The largest ship-of-the-line can 
be docked in less than an hour. The wages for ship-car- 
penters and calkers is four shillings and sixpence per 
day, which is considerably less than the rate paid in the 
United States for similar work. 

There is another style of dock in Liverpool — com- 
monly called basins. In consequence of the great rise 
and fall of the tide, and the swift current in the Mersey^ 
there is great danger in anchoring vessels in the stream,, 
and all ships are floated in these basins at high tide, and 
there remain locked in until their cargoes have been dis- 
charged or shipped. These docks, or basins, have gates 
for ingress, which are kept closed, being only opened at 
high tide to let ships in or out ; hence the basins are 
kept constantly filled with water, so that there is no rise 
nor fall of the water as of that in the river. They are 
built of large blocks of granite, laid in mortar, strapped 



ENGLAND: LONDON, LIVERPOOL. 331 

and bolted together with iron rods in the strongest man- 
ner. These docks reach along the river frontage some 
six or seven miles, making a complete and safe harbor 
for shipping. 

June 1st. — We ride out on the Park road, over vs^hich 
is a fine drive, and one of the principal resorts in Liver- 
pool. The country mansions are of stone, mostly in 
Grothic style, with their lawns laid out in winding roads ; 
the dwellings are hid by large shade-trees, which give 
them a lonely appearance, and they do not present that 
cheerful and lively aspect that the more modern country 
cottages of America do. 

June ^d. — This morning we leave Liverpool by the 
ten o'clock train en route for Holyhead, Wales ; distance 
one hundred and ten miles, fare twenty shillings each. 
At twelve o'clock we stop at Chester, and put up at the 
Queen's Hotel, board twelve shillings per day. 



CHAPTEE XXXVI. 

wales: CHESTER, BANaOR, HOLYHEAD, C0:NWAY. 

June 2d. — Wales is the soutliwestern portion of the 
island of Great Britain. Its greatest length is ninety 
miles, and it varies from forty to eighty miles in breadth. 
Into this country the ancient Britons retreated from the- 
advances of successive invaders, and here maintained their 
independence. The Romans were unable to reduce them 
to complete subjection. 

This mountainous country, defended by British valor,, 
remained the secure retreat of British independence, and 
was never entirely subjected to the crown of England 
till the reign of Edward I., who, in order to reconcile the 
Welsh to the English yoke, sent his queen into the coun- 
try, where she gave birth to a son who was duly ac- 
knowledged as their prince. From that period to the 
present, the eldest son of the King of England has been 
styled the Prince of Wales, and as such has derived cer- 
tain revenues from the country. 

June Zd. — In the natural aspect of the country, its 
mountains and hills, its valleys and glens, its lakes and 
rivers, few regions can be said to surpass Wales in beauty 
and grandeur ; while almost every foot of her territory 
is associated with historical events of more than ordinary 
interest, since it abounds in the remains of antique en- 



WALES: CHESTER, BANGOR, ETC. :>S3 

campments, fortresses, castles, and castellated roansions. 
At different periods a great variety of specimens of mili- 
tary architecture lias been found, exhibiting the diver- 
sified styles of different ages. The inhabitants, too, are 
still -a distinct and very remarkable people, and, in the 
remoter districts, yet speak the language of their British 
ancestors. 

June Uh. — The city of Chester is situated on the ele- 
vated banks of the river Dee, by which it is bounded on 
the south and west sides. The Romans are believed to 
have been its founders, and its site Avas selected by them 
for one of their chief military stations. Many remains 
of Roman antiquity have at different times been discov- 
ered in its vicinity, such as lamps, urns, statues, weapons 
of war, coins, pottery, and other curious specimens of the 
conquerors' arts. Chester is surrounded by thick stone- 
walls, constructed by the Romans, which afford a very 
agreeable walk of about two miles. In making the cir- 
cuit of the town, on the top of this wall, a fine view is 
obtained of the surrounding country in every direction, 
and an opportunity afforded for observing the peculiar 
construction and antiquated architecture of the city. The 
surroundings of Chester abound in rich gardens, delight- 
ful groves, stately trees, and fragrant flowers. 

The old castle was a noble structure in the olden 
time, little of which, however, now remains, excepting a 
tower bearing the name of Julius Agricola, who, in the 
year 78 a. d. commanded the Roman forces in Britain, of 
which he was made governor, extended his conquests 
into Scotland, and built a chain of forts from the Clyde 



384 AROUND THE WORLD. 

to the Fritli of Forth. A more modern edifice has been 
substituted for the old fortress, designed for the use of 
the garrisoD. It contains forty thousand stand of arms, 
besides one hundred pieces of ordnance. 

June oth. — We leave Chester by the twelve o'clock 
train en route for Holyhead ; but break our tour again 
at Bangor, three hours' ride from Chester, where we put 
up at the British Hotel, which is the best in the town, 
at eight shillings per day. The hotel is small, but toler- 
ably well kept. Bangor, situated on or near the straits 
of Menai, is a town of great antiquity. The rising 
grounds about the city in every direction afford exten- 
sive prospects, embracing a great variety of coast and 
mountain scenery. Owing to its peculiar situation, it 
has long been a favorite place of resort, and the number 
of visitors has greatly increased since the construction of 
the suspension-bridge across the Menai Straits. The 
city, including the suburbs, contains about fifteen thou- 
sand inhabitants. The most important buildings are tlie 
old cathedral, the episcopal palace, the meeting-houses of 
the various denominations, Roman Catholic church. Free 
School, Union Poor-House, Market-House, Assembly- 
Booms, Temperance Hall, and three banks. 

June 6th. — In the forenoon we attended the Wes- 
ley an Methodist church ; in the afternoon we went to 
the cathedral. The foundation-walls of this old edifice 
were laid in the fifth century, but the building has been 
destroyed by its enemies, in difterent wars, some two 
or three times, and as often rebuilt. In some of the 
churches preaching is in the Welsh language. It is a 



WALES: OlfFSTFR, BANGOR, FTC. 3^5 

singular fact that in tlie British Isles the people speak 
five distinct dialects — Welsh, Lowland Scotch, old 
Gaelic, Irish, or Erse, and English ; the latter, of coui'se, 
is the 23re vailing language, and is spoken by the educated 
throughout the kingdom. 

June 7th. — To-day we ride out some seven or eight 
miles to the slate-quarries. This is one of the most 
interesting excursions made from Bangor, over a good 
country-road; These quarries are the largest in Eng- 
land, employing some three thousand men to work them. 
On our return we rode through the village of Bethesda, 
containing about five or six thousand inhabitants, wdio 
are chiefly employed in the slate-quarries. We also 
passed by Lord Penrhyn's castle, which occupies a com- 
manding elevation. It is constructed in the Norman 
style of architecture, and displays a vast range of build- 
ings, crowned with lofty towers. The adjoining park is 
studded with stately trees, and is seven miles in circuit. 

June Sth. — We visit the market-house, where all 
kinds of meats, poultry, and vegetables, are offered for 
sale. It was most amusing to see the country-people 
come in, some on foot, others in carts, the latter mostly 
driven by women. The fish-women were the most strik- 
ing in appearance ; they were generally young and 
pretty, very neat and tidy, and looking characteristically 
Welsh in their white caps and bright-colored petticoats. 
It is said that they never marry out of their own class. 

June 9th. — We visit Prospect Park, by ascending a 
mountain upon whose summit the park is situated, 
whence a magnificent view is obtained of the town, lying 



386 AROUND THE WORLD. 

almost at our feet, with a picturesque landscape in tlie 
distance, dotted with towns and hamlets. 

At 3 p. M. we resume our tour. On reaching the 
railway-station we meet with Captain Grant, of the 
Royal Navy, who accompanied us on our passage of 
fourteen days from Hong-Kong, China, to Ceylon. At 
4 p. M. we arrive at' Holyhead, and put up at the Royal 
Hotel ; board eight shillings per day. 

Holyhead is situated upon an island, or more prop- 
erly a peninsula, which at high tide becomes insulated. 
Prom this point the English mails cross twice every day 
to Ireland. It is also the point of termination of the 
great railways from London and Chester. The rocky 
scenery around Holyhead is uncommonly grand and 
romantic. The city contains about seven thousand in- 
habitants, and there is more of an air of activity and 
business about it than one might expect in such a 
remote region. 

June 10th. — Whit-Monday is kept in Wales as a 
general holiday. The stores and shops are all closed, 
and the people promenading the streets. In the after- 
noon w^e went upon the lawn fronting on the sea, where 
young gentlemen and ladies were enjoying themselves by 
moving around a ring, formed by some of them clasping 
hands, while others, running around the circle, kissed 
each other, after the manner of little school-children. 

June 11th. — The breakwater, which is built out into 
the Irish Sea at Holyhead, is one of the finest in Great 
Britain. It not only protects the shipping, but forms a 
complete fortification for the protection of the city in 



WALES: GEESTEE, BANGOB, ETG. 337 

case of an invasion, and also makes a very fine prome- 
nade for pedestrians. 

June 12th. — The promontory of the Head is formed 
by an immense precipitous rock. The part next to the 
sea is hollowed into caverns, affording shelter to innu- 
merable sea-birds, whose eggs are highly esteemed as a 
delicacy; and the only way in which they can be pro- 
cured is by men descending from the summit by means 
of a rope tied around the body and fastened to a stake 
above — which, of course, is a very hazardous proceeding. 

June. \Ztli, — We leave Holyhead by the twelve 
o'clock train for Liverpool, with the determination of 
taking ship to-morrow for America. After having trav- 
eled so long a distance, I begin to realize that the 
world is too large and life too short to see everything ; 
hence we turn our faces homeward. At three o'clock 
we make a halt at Conway. 

This is a small town, but it is beautifully situated 
upon the high bank of a river of the same name. The 
town is surrounded by a wall twelve feet thick, strength- 
ened with towers and battlements. The great object of 
interest is the old castle, erected in 1224 by Edward T 
When in its perfect state, this castle must have been 
superior to any fortress in Britain. It is situated on the 
verge of a precipitous rock, one side bounded by and 
overlooking the river, and the other facing a deep ravine. 
The walls are of great thickness, and surmounted by 
watch-towers. The interior of the castle was originally 
divided into two courts, the largest one hundred and 
thirty feet long, with a lofty ceiling. This old castle is 



388 AEOUXD TEE WORLD. 

now in a dilapidated state, nothing but tlie walls re- 
niaining. 

From Conway we proceed to Liverpool. The farms 
along the route are not as large as in some other parts 
of Great Britain, but the vegetation is prolific. The 
scenery is beautiful and varied, and the fields are inclosed 
by hawthorn-hedges, which are now covered with green 
leaves and white blossoms, filling the air with sweet and 
refreshins: odors. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



ATLA]S"TIC 0CEA:N^. 



June Uth. — To-day we embark on board tlie steam- 
ship Italy, and take passage for ~Ne^Y York. The ship 
leaves Liverjjool at 2 p. 31. ; distance by the course Trhich 
the vessel takes about thirty-two hundred miles ; fare, 
for state-room, thirty-six guineas for us two. The Italy 
is one of the finest ships of the fleet to which she be- 
longs, built of iron, propelled by a flange-screw, full 
rigged, of the capacity of forty-five hundred tons, and 
consumes forty-five tons of coal every twenty-four hours. 
Her crew, including officers, servants, and sailors, consists 
of over one hundred men. We have in comj^any fifty- 
four first-class passengers, among whom are Commodore 
Calhoun, of the United States Xavy ; Rev. Isaac Pierson, 
missionary to China ; Rev. AY. Linton, Rev. Dr. Collyer, 
Rev. Father O'Connell, Mr. Sa^vyer, of Dublin, and many 
others of note. 

'Jime 15th. — AYeather clear, and wind blowing hard 
from the northwest. At 2 p.m. we arrive in the harbor 
of Queenstown, two hundred and forty-foui' miles from 
Liverpool. Here we remain for a few hours taking in 
freight and some additional passengers. On the arrival 
of the British mail, which left London last evening by 
the way of Holyhead, the ship's anchor is weighed and 



390 ABOUND THE WORLD. 

we steam out of the harbor, during the afternoon and 
evening sailing close along the coast of Ireland. 

Ju7ie 16th. — Sky overcast, strong headwind from the 
northwest, and rough sea. Thermometer 45°. Course 
west; latitude 51° 4' north, longitude 13° 43' west. Dis- 
tance run from Queenstown, up to 12 m., two hundred 
and thirteen miles. With the exception of the China 
Sea, we found the winds and waves nowhere so boister- 
ous as on the Atlantic. Many of our passengers to-day 
are sea sick, which is more unpleasant and distressing 
than almost any other sickness. 

Sea-sickness is caused by the motion of the ship — the 
pitching and rolling of the vessel, or the alternate rising 
and falling of the bow and stern. Some people never 
suffer from it, others only on their first voyage ; others, 
again, in every voyage they undertake. With some it 
only continues for a few hours, while others suffer almost 
constantly throughout a long voyage. In most cases, 
however, the sickness subsides as soon as the sea becomes 
smooth, and always disappears on landing. One always 
feels much better after being sea-sick for one or two days, 
and its effect is much better for the system than a regu- 
lar course of medicine. 

June 17 th. — Weather cloudy, wind blowing hard 
from the northwest, and sea running high. Thermome- 
ter 40°. Course west ; latitude 50° 42' north, lono-itude 
19° 6' west. Distance run, up to 12 m., two hundred and 
five miles. 

June ISth. — Weather overcast, wind blowing hard 
from the northwest, and sea high. Thermometer 41°. 



ATLANTIC OCEAN. 3 91 

Course west; latitude 49° 43' north, longitude 25° 11' 
west. Ship ran, up to 12 m., two hundred and forty-two 
miles. This being the Sabbath, divine service was con- 
ducted by the Rev. J. Pierson, missionary from China. 

June 19th. — Weather cloudy, wind blowing a gale 
from west-northwest, and sea high. Thermometer 39°. 
Course west; latitude 48° 15'' north, longitude 30° 42' 
west. Shij) ran, up to 12 m., two hundred and thirty- 
five miles. 

(Tune 20th. — Sky overcast, wind blowing hard from 
the west-northwest, and sea high. Thermometer 38°. 
Course west; latitude 46° 8' north, longitude 36° 11' 
west. Distance run, up to 12 m., two hundred and sixty 
miles. 

Jtme 2 l^z^.— Weather foggy, wind blowing hard from 
the northwest, and sea running high. Thermometer 37°. 
Course west by south ; latitude 44° 15' north, longitude 
41° 30' west. Distance run, up to 12 ]\r., two hundred 
and fifty-three miles. 

June 22d. — Weather both foggy and stormy, wind 
west, and sea not so high. Thermometer 38°. Course 
west by south ; latitude 42° 35' north, longitude 47° 25' 
west. Distance run, up to 12 m., two hundred and sev- 
enty-six miles. 

June 23d — Weather foggy and stormy, wind strong 
from the southwest, and sea running high. Thermome- 
ter 50°. Course west by south; observation taken by 
dead reckoning, latitude 42° 11' north, longitude 53° 25' 
west. Distance run, up to 12 m., two hundred and sixty 
miles. 



392 AROUND THE WORLD. 

June 24:th. — Weather more mild, wind soutLwest, and 
sea not as high. Thermometer 60°. Course west by 
south; latitude 41° 42' north, longitude 59° 10' west. 
Distance run, up to 12 m., two hundred and sixty-six 
miles. 

June 25tJi. — Weather clear, wind fresh from the south- 
west. Thermometer 61°. Course west by south ; lati- 
tude 41° north, longitude 64° 43' west. Distance run, 
up to 12 M., two hundred and fifty-iive miles. To-day 
we have preaching by the Rev. Mr. Linton, of London. 

June 26th. — Weather warm and foggy, wind light 
from the southwest, and sea smooth. Thermometer 70°. 
Course west by south ; latitude 40° 31' north, longitude 
70° 43' west. Distance run two hundred and seventy- 
three miles. At 12 m. we are within one hundred and 
thirfcy-two miles of New York. In consequence of the 
fog, the steam-whistle has been constantly sounding for 
the last twelve or fifteen hours, and at intervals fire- 
rockets are sent up, lest we should come in collision with 
some vessel. 

June 27 til. — Some time during the night we were 
boarded by a Sandy Hook pilot. This morning early 
we have in view the Highlands of the New Jersey coast, 
and then the green shores of the harbor ; and soon after 
the spires of New York City rose on our sight, all of 
which seemed as familiar as things but of yesterday. At 
7 A. M. we arrived at the quarantine-ground, where we re- 
mained for about an hour, waiting for the health-officer, 
and the city about nine o'clock. After having our trunks 
examined, we returned to our home in safety. 



ATLANTIC OCEAN. 393 

During our sojourn we liave traveled, ])y sea and 
land, twenty-seven thousand five hundred miles — eight 
thousand five hundred and twenty-eight miles l)y land 
and eighteen thousand nine hundred and seventy-two 
miles over sea — and here we are at home again. 

I am very glad that we have got through with our 
travels and adventures without any evil befalling us, for 
which we shall ever remain thankful. I can but attribute 
our great success in the avoidance of ills to a kind Provi- 
dence, which has been over us in all the perils we have 
encountered by sea and land. 

Of all the countries through which we have traveled, 
there is none that struck us more favorably in its general 
aspect than that of the United States, with her majestic 
mountain scenery, broad prairies, and grand old forests, 
lakes, and numerous rivers, with all the varieties of cli- 
mate, and, above all, rainfall in its regular course in due 
season, bringing forth prolific crops, which are the great- 
est of all blessings that can be bestowed upon mankind. 

The making the circuit of the globe is a mere ques- 
tion of taste, time, and means ; although there is no tour 
that can be made which is of more interest, for there is a 
great deal to be seen and learned that can be practically 
acquired neither in Europe nor America. The most 
favorable time for makino; the tour is to leave New York 
in the month of August ; spend a month or six weeks in 
crossing the American Continent, which time can be 
profitably devoted to points of interest along the line of 
the Union and Central Pacific Railroads ; stopping at 
Niagara Falls, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and San Fran- 

26 



394 AROUND THE WORLD. 

cisco, tliougli many other places of importance may be 
seen. It is best to leave San Francisco as early as tbe 
iirst of October for Yokobama, by the Pacific Mail Com- 
pany's ships, spending about four mouths in traveling 
through the warm countries of Japan, China, and India, 
leaving the latter country not later than the first of 
March, for Egypt, in order to avoid the extreme heat of 
the Red Sea. From Egypt proceed to Syria and Pales- 
tine, and spend the following simimer on the Continent 
of Europe and Great Britain. 

We suffered none from cold ; neither did we experi- 
ence any very hot weather, excepting in the south of 
India, where, I must confess, it was rather too warm for 
a few days. The thermometer ranged, in the different 
countries, all the way from 33° to 87°. 

It is well to state that the journey was made without 
the occurrence of the slightest illness to either of us, ex- 
cepting slight sea-sickness ; without missing a steamer or 
train, without accident of any kind, and without the loss 
of the most trifling article. 



THE END. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 0\ 

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